Warriors
by Writer207
Summary: Villains have taken over Auradon. The good guys still fight for their country and their rights, even if they're being hunted and killed. While Ben is forced to lead the alliance against the villains who took over their lands, Mal has to find the Fairy Godmother's wand to prove she's a worthy heir. There's one problem: only the resistance knows where it is. (T for evil)
1. Prologue

**Hey guys!** **I'm Writer207 and this is my first ever Descendants story. I'm excited to let you read it because I've been planning it for a long time. It's basically just the Descendants story we know, but with the villains having escaped the Isle very soon and ruling Auradon. Also, it won't follow the plot _completely_ (it'll be a little darker), so there'll be similarities and differences, but you'll see what I mean soon.** **I have to say before we start: some characters will be a little OOC, but only because the story and the world they live in demands it. Also, there will be one or two OC's, who won't really be important (for now). So, without further ado, here's the prologue!**

 **-Writer207**

* * *

 _Once upon a time, long, long ago… well, more like twenty years ago, Belle married her Beast in front of six thousand of their closest personal friends. Big cake… Yeah, so, instead of a honeymoon, Beast united all of the kingdoms and got himself the elected King of the United States of Auradon. He rounded up all the villains and sidekicks – basically all the really interesting people – and he booted them off to the Isle of the Lost, with a magical barrier to keep them there._

 _However, that barrier didn't stay there for a long time. Almost immediately, the barrier broke down and villains went to Auradon. The good guys fled when they heard we were coming or them. Those who didn't go and hide somewhere, were killed. Soon, the United States of Auradon fell in the hands of the villains and Maleficent became the supreme ruler of the land. Villains had the upper hand and the good guys were vanquished – or so we thought._

 _Hang on! You're about to meet us. But first, this happened…_

The family ran through the forest, struggling to get through the dense cluster of plants. Not many people went this way, so they decided to go there. Behind them, they could hear the far away noise the five goons, who were following them, made. Luckily, they still were far behind, making it hard to catch up on the family.

The family was made up of three members. Mother, father, son. The son was exploring the woods, trying to find the way to the safe location. Then his mother came and last but not least, his father. The son was going faster than his parents, to scout the area. You never know where those goons would show up.

"Ben!" He turned around. His mother sounded scared. When he saw her, he noticed she was fine. When he looked at his father, he knew why they stopped. The wound hadn't completely healed yet, which already made it hard for his father to run away from the goons. Currently, he was takng a break, leaning against a tree.

Ben ran back to his father, also known as the infamous Beast. Even if his real name was Adam, people still called him Beast after all those years. "Dad!" He came closer and stood in a position that would allow him to help his father whenever necessary.

"Are you okay?" he asked, "Do I need to help you?" his father shook his head in response.

"No, thanks. I'm fine." Even in these dark times, people still used that lie. It didn't need to be said out loud. It would take a while for Beast to recover and be able to continue. In the meantime, the goons were coming closer and closer. If they stayed there too long, they would sure catch up on them.

"We have to split up," Beast then said, looking at his family. Belle nodded and it pleased him to see she agreed with his plan. She definitely saw the bigger picture. Ben, on the other hand, didn't consider this plan to be a good one.

"What?" he said, disbelief clearly audible in his voice.

"I can't continue like this," Beast explained, "I will only slow you down. Ben, go back to the alliance on your own. You have the best chance of survival." Ben already started shaking his head when Beast wasn't finished talking.

"No," he responded, "I'm not leaving you."

"Ben…" Beast tried again, but Ben continued before his father could say anything else.

"No, I won't. I'm staying." Beast took one step in his son's direction – he would've come closer than that if he wasn't exhausted and if the wound wasn't stopping him.

"Ben, please." His father said. Ben stared into his father's eyes, and his father stared back at him. "You have to go. The alliance needs you." He begged his son to go, to leave them behind. Ben continued to watch his father. He knew his father was genuinely worried about him, but the tone he used and the meaning behind his latest words gave another possibility of interpretation. He eventually turned his head.

"I'm just a kid…" He whispered. He didn't look directly at his father anymore. He was sixteen, old enough to have some responsibility. He knew this day was coming come, but he had no idea he would be sixteen when some responsibilities and burdens shifted from one person to another. Beast had picked the worst day to give Ben the biggest responsibility of all. They were on the run and they had no idea what was going to happen. There was always a back-up plan, but that wouldn't be activated until next week or when the three of them were dead. Someone of his age shouldn't have to have so much responsibilities.

He felt a soft hand on his shoulder. It was his mother. He still didn't look up, but still shifted his head in his mother's direction, placing his own hand on his mother's.

"He means well," Belle said.

"I know." Ben replied, "I just… Chip would've been so much better at this than me." _And he actually wanted it,_ he thought. It was a pity his enthusiasm made him one of Maleficent's victims. Even in his last moments, he remained true to himself. He would never grow older than twenty-four and still inspired a lot of people today.

"Chip isn't here anymore," Belle said with a shaky voice. She missed him and she got sad when she was reminded of him. She had known Chip longer than Ben, after all, and often acted as his second mother. "They respect you. They like you. You're nice to them. I'm sure they'll listen to you." Ben turned around and finally looked at his mother. He had no idea how she still was able to smile in the face of danger.

"I'm not ready." He said. After everything that happened, he knew he just wasn't ready. He wasn't the perfect successor who is able to withstand the forces of evil. Heck, he was not even half the fighter his dad was. Then how could his father ever expect him to lead the resistance? There were far better candidates in the alliance.

"Yes, you are." Ben turned his head to his father. He still was leaning against the tree, but had recovered a bit, making him use the tree just for support. "Don't ever let anyone tell you otherwise. You can do it. I'm sure you can."

"But dad…"

"No buts," Beast interrupted him. "I've seen how you take charge of the younger alliance. You'll be a great leader, Ben, even if you don't see it yet." Ben nodded in response. He still doubted himself. But his parents believed in him, so it was time to believe he could actually lead the entire alliance. And if it turns out he wasn't ready, he would have to learn as he led his big family through the dark times they were living in.

The goons were coming dangerously close. The family went to lay on the ground. Their clothes were already dirty, so a little more dirt wouldn't hurt anyone. As long as they stayed alive, it didn't matter how dirty they were. They continued their conversation.

"I'll distract them," Ben suggested, "You stay here until they're out of sight. We meet at the alliance." He didn't leave any room for contradiction and immediately crawled away. He was already lucky they had found this small way which the few animals of this forest use. It would be easier for Ben to sneak away from his parents and distract the goons from a distance. It took him long – too long, in his opinion – to find a tree to hide behind. It was wide enough to temporarily hide him from the goons' sight.

He started to doubt again. Would he be able to do it? Would he see his parents, his friends ever again? Did Maleficent find them already? He already knew Audrey had escaped eight times, a record nobody wished to break, but others had less luck. Whatever the case, he told himself to focus on the present. The goons had to be distracted. That was the problem of the now. The other matters could be addressed later.

Ben took a deep breath. From his position, he could see the goons walking around, looking for any sign of life, any sign of resistance. He looked to his left, at his parents. Currently, they were hiding, but not for much longer. They would be on their way to the alliance, to a safe place where he'd meet them eventually. If he ran, they would not turn back to look for his parents. They'd be too busy chasing him.

He took another deep breath and ran away from his parents, away from the safety of the tree he was hiding behind. He focused on the village, where he'd try to shake them off. After a few seconds, he could hear the goons. "Over there!" And then, no second later, bullets flew past him. He was lucky these goons weren't properly trained, because they barely had any experience with chasing the enemy in a forest they didn't know.

Ben didn't look back. The thought of his parents, who were going to be safe, and his father's words to him, fuelled him and made him run a little faster than usual. In the meantime, the goons were still shooting at him. They hit the trees, the plants, the fern as Ben fought his way through the dense forest.

One lucky shot ended the chase. As it hit Ben, he stumbled a few more feet forward, but then fell. He shouted out in pain, and immediately grasped the wound at his ankle. Blood poured out of it, and Ben put pressure on it. Hopefully, this reduced the amount of blood flowing out of it.

He was close to swearing. He wouldn't be able to shrug this one off. He tried to crawl away in a last attempt to stay away from the goons. He failed. The goons soon caught up on him. They stood around him in a circle, guns pointed at him. Ben quickly counted them. Five goons. They all went after him. His parents were safe.

"Let's end this now," one of them said, looking at the victim. Ben guessed this was the guy who had hit him, though he couldn't be sure. He did know that his comrades wouldn't let him kill the kid right away. Immediately after the goon had said it, the other four immediately protested.

"Dude, what are you doing?" the goon on his left said, "Maleficent wants every resistance member _alive_." The three others nodded. Ben looked at the guy who wanted to shoot him, but not anymore. Everyone knew Maleficent (and other villains who sided with her) wanted the resistance members to be publicly executed to spread fear and despair, to prevent anyone from doing what the poor resistance members did. She had found a way to make everyone she caught beg for mercy, pleading innonence in their lastv moments, as if they were somebody else, as if they belonged with the ordinary, scared townsfolk. Ben had seen it happen more than once. Her plans didn't include someone being executed in the forest.

Two of the goons, one of them being the guy who wanted to kill him, picked him up by his arms and dragged him out of the forest, to the village. He was forced to walk or to have his feet get dragged behind him. Ben chose to walk. His ankle hurt a lot, but it would hurt a lot more if his feet were dragged behind him.

When they were out of the woods, Ben looked at the dark castle in the north. Maleficent's castle. A chill went down his spine. He'd spend the last days of his life there before . He would never see his parents again.

For some reason, he started to think about the villains and what kind of parents they were. There were a lot of villains who had kids of their own – nobody knew how they managed to convince someone to have a baby, or multiple babies, with them. Because he was a member of the alliance, he knew them all by face – if you didn't know the faces, there was always a chance to get caught. In this part of the kingdom, Maleficent and her three closest 'friends' (Jafar, the Evil Queen and Cruella De Vil) reigned supreme. Everyone knew the faces of those kids and there were whispers, rumors going around about them when they weren't in the village. Most people preferred not to say their names, afraid some sort of spy would hear them pronounce that name with disrespect. Disrespect was a crime nobody dared to commit, as it was often punished with death. No, they preferred the common nicknames everyone used. The Traveler. The Princess. The Fur-Hunter. The Witch.

Ben knew their names and wasn't afraid to say them out loud. Jay. Evie. Carlos. Mal. After today, he had no idea if he would ever say them out loud. He probably never would. As the goons pushed him, he wondered if the Fearsome Four would be around when his head would be separated from his body.

He shook his head. Of course they would be around. They were always around when another alliance member had to bite the dust, grinning as if they were watching their favorite show. He hung his head and looked away from the castle.


	2. Rotten to the core

**I'm back! Thanks for the warm welcome and all those nice reviews. They mean a lot to me. Anyway... after meeting Ben, I think it's time to meet our favorite villain kids, don't you think? It's their story, it's more than fitting they get an introduction. But first, as I Always do, I'm going to reply to the reviews you left on the prologue:**

 _pinksakura271:_ _Thanks for reviewing! I like Ben/Mal as well! But we'll have to see if their relationship works out. They're not the only ones with nicknames: every villain kid has one. He sure needs to become more confident, but will he? Maybe, maybe not. You'll get your answer soon, though not right now._

 _Kingson24601:_ _We'll see if their relationship works out and how fast things will go! About Audrey... let's just say that growing up in different circumstances and environments may have helped her escape 8 times. Thanks for reviewing!_

 _blackkitty5133:_ _Thanks for reviewing! Well, if the villains hadn't taken over, I wouldn't be writing this now. Glad you like it!_

 _PurpleNicole531:_ _Yeah, it was a stupid move, but at least his parents got away. They will show up in this chapter, so let's see what they'll do. Thanks for reviewing!_

 _TKDP:_ _Thanks for reviewing! You'll see later if Ben's going to be okay. The wound is quite old, a couple of months, but only Beast knows how he got it (many suspect because he almost got captured by goons). What Audrey did will be explained eventually._

 **Enjoy!**

 **-Writer207**

* * *

 ** _Three days later_**

The streets of the village near Maleficent's castle had been deserted for a long time when the people started to go back outside. The houses had as much locks as fitted on the doors and windows. There were planks ready to be nailed against the windows. They have had to do it many times before and had to take them off again to get at least a bit of sunshine. The villagers did avoid going to the eastern edge, because that was the spot where the Princess, the Fur-Hunter and the Witch were waiting for their friend to return.

The first to stand in row was the purple-haired daughter of Maleficent. Mal was looking over the area, arms crossed, with the other two on her right and left respectively. She was not moving, just using her eyes to see where their friend could be.

On her left stood the only girl she could tolerate and which she could call a friend. Evie, the daughter of the Evil Queen, was wearing something comfortable yet fashionable for the occasion. She seemed a little impatient to see him back, easily seen from the way she tapped her foot to the ground and looked around, even behind her, to see if he had returned.

On Mal's right stood the son of Cruella De Vil. Carlos was wearing his usual attire, but this time he also wore the coat he made when he was ten, after he made his mother proud for the first time. He is one of the reasons the villagers in this part of the kingdom don't have a dog or hide it. When he noticed how impatient Evie was, he rolled his eyes and looked in the other direction. They knew he was arriving within half an hour, so why would she have to be that impatient?

Something stung Mal's back. Immediately she reacted, turning around and ready to cast a spell. Behind her, the Traveler held his hands in the air and smiled approvingly when he saw her reaction. Evie and Carlos turned around as well, warned by Mal's sudden movement. Their surprise couldn't have been bigger.

"JAY!" Mal yelled and Jay had to laugh. A smile appeared on the faces of both Carlos and Evie, satisfied to see their friend again after a long absence, but Mal was still mad at him for sneaking up on her and doing that. "If you do that _ever_ again, I swear I'll kill you!"

"I'm sure you will," was his response and he nodded. "But I don't think they'll agree with you." He turned his head to Evie, who could barely hide her excitement. Out of the three, she had missed him the most. She took a step in their direction and he took his hand, turning her head to Mal.

"He's right," she said and turned her head back to Jay, "You can't kill him. We still need him to be close to us, right?" Jay nodded and they looked into each other's eyes. Carlos rolled his eyes again when he saw that.

"I sure need to be close to you, beautiful." Jay replied. Their heads came closer and closer. Mal rolled her eyes as well and shook her head. When they came too close, Carlos knew he had to do something.

"Jay!" he interrupted hem right before they had a chance to kiss, "Nice to see you again. Where'd you go this time, and where are you going next time? To Hades?" He faked the smile, even if he was genuinely glad to see one of the three only friends he has did return home. He sure could miss what Jay and Evie were doing.

"I'm only going to Hades when my time has come," Jay said. "Anyway, I had to cross the entire country to reach my destination. That's why I've been gone for so long." He looked to each of his friends. During his journeys, he met his fellow evil-doers, but he could never quite call them his friends. Those who traveled like he did, never visited this part of the country. It's not just villagers who fear Maleficent. He really had nobody but Mal, Evie and Carlos to grow up with.

"Where did you go to?" Evie wanted to know. He put his arm around her.

"Well, I visited the Southern Isles. It's really hot down there," he said. The road to the Southern Isles was indeed long, especially when travelling on foot like Jay did. He didn't want to travel by horse or car.

"And?" Mal then asked, "Are the villagers right? Is Hans really that big of a jerk?" Jay shrugged.

"He was nice to me. Then again, I was his guest and he's afraid of my father. Wouldn't say bad things about me even if he wanted to." Mal nodded. _No, he's afraid of my mother_ , she thought. Jafar, the Evil Queen and Cruella De Vil were close friends of Maleficent, having their own hierarchy projected onto their kids. Hans most likely feared Maleficent more than Jafar because the latter isn't a magical being anymore, just a vizier who lost his job and now runs this part of the country for Maleficent.

"Did you see Henry?" Evie then asked. Jay's smile disappeared and he shook his head.

"They still haven't found him." When he looked at her, he saw she was getting sad. Her own perfect smile had disappeared and tears almost welled up. Jay felt the need to comfort her. "Hey, I'm sure he'll show up someday." Evie nodded and fought back the tears. Mal knew Evie and Henry had a strong bond. They've only met once in person, but kept contact through letters. When he stopped writing, she became worried. When she asked King Hans about his son, he had to tell her Henry had gone missing. One day he was there, the next one he wasn't. Nobody knows where he is or who is with him. As long as Hades doesn't show up on the Southern Isles, Henry is still alive. If he hadn't disappeared, he and Evie would've met officially for the second time within a few weeks, and then Evie probably would go with Henry back home. Mal wondered if she already told Jay of her plans.

"So," Carlos eventually said, ruining the moment Jay and Evie were having, "are we gonna go home now? I'm sure the people have missed you." He pointed at the crowd behind him, still afraid to come closer but brave enough to hold their weekly market in the main street. The Fearsome Four exchanged some looks and without saying anything else, they ran towards the villagers present at the market.

The villagers ran away, scared of what they were able to do, with Mal up front and the other three following her. There were some older people who had learned to live with terror who, even if some opted to run away, would just stay where they were and not be intimidated. They did fake their fear – some people who didn't fear the Fearsome Four or their parents could be targeted as a resistance member and killed for something they might be doing - but that was only ten percent of the population. A young man backed away slowly when the kids came, putting his hands in the air and glaring at them when they weren't looking. The goods of a middle-aged woman in blue were trashed once Jay was done with it – she showed her so-called fear and then rearranged whatever was left in a semi-good condition.

Once they crossed the village and spread some more fear, they reached the square at the edge. This was the place where the resistance members would meet their ends while they could either look at the village or at the castle where Maleficent lived, just a mile away from the village. There was another castle ten miles to the south, where the Evil Queen lived together with Cruella De Vil and Jafar.

"Let's go home!" Mal told her three friends. Before she could walk towards her mother's castle, Jay had to say something.

"You know," he said, "I've been away from home for such a long time. I think my father would…" Mal turned her head. If looks could kill, Jay would drop to the ground immediately. He was lucky such magic didn't exist. He gulped. "Let's go to your castle," he added as he walked in the direction of Maleficent's castle. Mal, Evie and Carlos continued their way to the castle, which seemed to grow bigger with every step they took in its direction. In the end, they ran together, as if they were kids having fun.

They only went slower when they noticed the car in front of the gate and the two women waiting for them. The Evil Queen and Maleficent were standing there, watching their daughters come closer, never considering to take one step in their direction.

"She's waiting for you," Carlos said when he noticed the two women and he shook his head, "That's not good."

"Any why is my mom here?" Evie wondered out loud. Her mother barely visited Maleficent. Jay shrugged.

"I don't know," he said.

"I'm sure they'll want to talk to us," Mal then said and then sighed. Why did her mother want to talk to her now? "Where will you be waiting for us?"

"Dungeon." Jay said and Carlos immediately sighed once he heard that.

"Why do you have to go to the dungeon? It's just filled with possible resistance members and lovesick fools!"

"That's why I want to go to the dungeon," Jay replied. Carlos knew Jay only wanted to go to the dungeons to see how many victims Evie had made in his absence. Knowing her, it would be a lot. He also knew Jay shouldn't be worried, because Evie would always go back to him.

"Fine!" Mal then said, "We'll meet you there." Then they stopped talking, because the two mothers would be able to hear them from that distance. There they stood, powerful and strong, both intimidating and proud. Soon, the Fearsome Four stopped in front of them, keeping their distance.

"Mal, I have to talk to you," Maleficent said. Mal and Evie looked at each other, then at their own mothers.

"Yes, mother," Mal replied, staring at Maleficent with confidence and respect. Maleficent nodded when she heard her daughter's response.

"Evie," the Evil Queen then said, "you and I need to talk as well." Evie just nodded and looked to the stones at her feet.

"Let's go." Maleficent said, breaking the silence. Mal stepped forward and followed her mother to the throne room of the castle. Evie and the Evil Queen would find themselves a separate room to discuss whatever the queen wants to talk about. Carlos and Jay went straight to the dungeons. The throne room and the entire castle once belonged to Aurora's family, but they were taken care of over the years. Some say a daughter of Aurora still walks around, but she hasn't come to claim the stolen property yet. Once the castle could have been called beautiful, but not since Maleficent moved in.

Maleficent sat down on the throne and stared at her daughter, who remained standing in front of her. Their meetings in the throne room always went like this.

"Do you know why I brought you here?" Maleficent asked her. Mal shook her head in response, never looking away from her mother.

"No, mother," she replied. Maleficent stood up from her throne and started to pace up and down.

"I am the supreme ruler of this part of the kingdom," she said. Mal knew she was currently talking to herself as if her daughter wasn't even in the room, "People fear me, villagers and villains alike. And yet…" She paused on purpose, stopped in her tracks and looked at Mal.

"What do you want me to do, mother?" she asked. Maleficent then walked back to her throne and sat on it as she spoke.

"I want _you_ to find the Fairy Godmother's wand. I can already bend evil to my will, but with the Fairy Godmother's wand…" She paused for dramatic effect. Mal could see she _really_ wanted to have that wand. "I will be able to break the spirits of those foolish resistance members and bend evil _and_ good to my will. No peasant will disobey me ever again! No villain will stand in my way! And when I'm done, I will give you a part of my realm to rule…" A smile crept on her face. The mere thought of being able to rule just a part of the kingdom made her excited. She could already imagine the fearful expressions when she watched the peasants.

"Thank you, mother," she said. She couldn't conceal her excitement. It made Maleficent grin evilly as well.

"Yes, you'll need all the practice you can get before my time has come. Oh, I almost forgot!" She suddenly jumped up from her chair, remembering something she hadn't thought of earlier. "You will need this on your journey to find the wand." She walked to that particular wall of the throne room where she had built her secret room. Only Mal knew where it was, even if she wasn't allowed to go in there. A few times she had dared to go in there and take a look in her mother's spell book, but never too long. When Maleficent left her secret room, she held that old book with worn-off cover and near yellow pages in her hands. She handed it over to Mal, who stared at it with big eyes.

"Your spell book?" She was surprised and enlightened with that gift. At least, Mal assumed it was a gift. Her mother already knew all the spells, so she wouldn't have any use for it anymore. Maleficent nodded.

"Yes, yes. You are old enough to cast the more powerful spells. I know what you've done the past few years." Mal looked up from the spell book and stared at her mother. How did she know about her sneaking in? There was nobody here to catch her, except the raven. Doubt and fear took over, but they disappeared as soon as Maleficent continued talking. "I don't disapprove, only because you haven't been caught."

Mal smiled her evil smile. Even mothers don't like it when things are stolen from them. At least this mother approved because she is a villain. How else are the children ever going to learn to steal from everyone and sneak into places where they're not wanted?

"Thanks, mother," Mal replied, "I won't disappoint you."

"You will not," Maleficent said, either convinced Mal wouldn't fail her or telling Mal not to fail her. "One more thing: don't come back without the wand, okay? I will alert you if I found it before you could." The cold look in her eyes and the tone of her voice expressed the seriousness of the situation. Mal even had to suppress gulping in front of her mother. It made her look scared, and a daughter of Maleficent shouldn't be scared.

"Yes, mother," she then replied so she wouldn't sound too scared. It was normal, right? Every kid is scared of their parents once in a while, right?

"Now go." Maleficent ordered her daughter. Mal nodded in response, turned around with the book in a tight grasp and she walked out of the throne room without looking back. _The next time I'm standing here, I'll have the Fairy Godmother's wand with me,_ she thought. _Mother will be so proud of me. I will not disappoint her._

She decided to go down to the dungeon. Her mother never mentioned her having any support. Her three friends own had their unique abilities that would help her find that wand. Plus, if this quest took longer than expected, she needed a place to stay, and she was certain the Evil Queen would gladly provide shelter for the young Witch.

But first she went to the dungeon, where she might have to break up a fight between Carlos and Jay. They tend to fight when they were together in the dungeon, especially after one of Jay's absences.


	3. The plan

**Hey guys! I'm back with the next chapter of Warriors! One thing you all said something about was the Jay/Evie in the previous chapter. All I can say is: it's here because the plot demands it, or else it wouldn't be here. Anyway, here are my responses to your reviews, and then the next chapter follows:**

 _pinksakura271:_ _Thanks for reviewing! He sure is lucky. Yes, they're together (for now - you never know what could happen...) and Henry's not that close to the Fearsome Four, just Evie. Well, Mal's going to the dungeon, where the boys are waiting for her and Evie. The four of them are gonna work together to find that wand. You should be able to know what the Evil Queen gave Evie (if not, it's mentioned in this chapter). And we don't know if they're dead or not, Mal just assumes they're dead because nobody's heard of them in a very long time._

 _jaleftwich:_ _Yeah, that is completely true. And yes, I am a Ben/Mal shipper. I just don't know if we'll be seeing much of that, though I think there'll be some moments, but not yet. Thanks for reviewing!_

 _PurpleNicole531:_ _Thanks for reviewing! Yes, she will bring her friends. And in this story, yes, they like each other (as I said earlier, the plot demands it). Anyway, there will be some obstacles on the way they'll have to overcome._

 _Kingson24601:_ _There'll be more nods to the original throughout the story. For the sake of the story, yes, they like each other. This chapter will give more insight in Jay and Carlos's friendship. Thanks for reviewing!_

 _TKDP:_ _Thanks for reviewing! And the tension doesn't end there - it's gonna show up quite a few other times. Well, they're still villains, so it should be bad._

 **Enjoy!**

 **-Writer207**

* * *

There were small stairs leading to the dungeon, and after that another long hallway. At the end of the hallway was the door that would lead to the 'lovesick fools and possible resistance members'. The second door, one that was located way closer to the stairs, led to another part of the dungeon. Many who passed that door would be convinced Maleficent kept wild, savage creatures behind that door. There was always one of them growling, attacking the door in an attempt to get out. Rumor has it only Maleficent can enter and not get ripped to pieces by these wild things.

Jay and Carlos were present in the hallway while Mal was talking to her mother. Carlos waited outside the door leading to the actual cells holding the 'possible resistance members and lovesick fools'. There actually weren't that many of either. There were just seven of her victims and just one young man who may be a resistance member. At least he has never met Evie – Carlos would've known it if he had.

Jay came out of the dungeon when Evie was already waiting there for him with Carlos. They barely talked while Jay was visiting the guys, because Evie was too busy admiring her reflection in her mother's latest gift: a small magic mirror the size of her hand. Apparently it had the same abilities as the big mirror in her mother's bedroom. She was looking at it, sometimes asking the mirror something. Carlos only wondered why she had to rhyme when she asked the mirror for something.

"Whatcha got over there?" Jay asked when he noticed her full attention went to the mirror once he walked out of the dungeon. Evie turned her head and smiled when Jay came into view. Carlos rolled his eyes. How could Jay even take that relationship seriously if he saw what happened to those seven victims? If he was born a peasant, he wouldn't have lasted five days – he would've ended up being there, too, if he was lucky enough to be noticed.

"A mirror," she answered Jay's question.

"Yeah, couldn't you see that?" Carlos then said. Jay turned his head to his best friend, who smiled at him. Jay recognized that one as a fake. He shook his head and crossed his arms.

"I see you're still angry," he said, looking at Carlos, who shrugged in response.

"No, not angry," Carlos responded, "Just irritated, that's all. You gotta remember who you're dealing with." He glanced at Evie when he said that, obvious enough for Jay to notice what Carlos tried to say. He grinned at him, amused by his position. It must be so hard for Carlos, seeing him and Evie together and not being able to do anything about it.

"Oh, I remember it just fine," Jay then said, "Do you?" He raised an eyebrow when he said it and Carlos shook his head with an irritated look. They had agreed never to speak of that brief relationship again.

"Jay, leave him alone." Evie decided to intervene before this argument turned into a fight between the boys. It wouldn't be the first time the friends fought and it wouldn't have been the last time if it got out of hand. To think they were the best of friends when they were younger and not interested in girls.

"Yeah, leave me alone!" Carlos said, "It's not like she would've put me there when she…" He trailed off mid-sentence, not wanting to finish it. There was a time, before she hooked up with Jay, where she targeted Carlos. She succeeded. Their relationship was beautiful and brief – it ended after just a few weeks. If he wasn't in such a favored position, Jay would've seen him sit in one of the cells of the dungeon today.

"You could've been there," Evie said – even if she prevented fights, she still supported Jay, "I considered it, but didn't do it. I saved you." Carlos crossed his arms; that's not how he remembered it.

"You did not," he reacted, "I just was braver than those boys will ever be! Besides, you weren't…"

"Your type?" Evie finished his sentence for him, "Carlos, you of all people should know I'm everybody's type." He didn't want to admit it, but she did have a point there. No matter how those boys acted and what their dream girl looked like, Evie still convinced them to come with her for a while. Done it before, sure would do it again.

"It wasn't just Evie who saved you," Jay then said, "Your mother did, too. Indirectly, of course. For a B-list villain she's still important enough for you to stay at this side of the door." Oh, he should've just kept his mouth shut. Then this could've still been a peaceful evening. But now, Carlos was infuriated. He walked towards Jay with a mad look on his face.

"B-list villain?" he said, "Take that back."

"It's true." Jay only said, not caring about the finger Carlos pointed at him in an angry way. The nonchalant grin on his face made Carlos even angrier. He shook his head.

"My mother is a murderer!" he almost shouted these words – almost, he was still able to stay somewhat calm enough to say these words calm enough, "She's killed puppies! Nobody can be more evil than that!" There was no denying everyone was shocked when they heard what Cruella De Vil had done to those poor, defenseless puppies. She still wore the coat in public to remind the people of her cruel deed. But Jay didn't seem that impressed with that evil act.

"She almost did it the first time," he said, emphasizing 'almost', and he pushed Carlos' finger down, "Only when our parents got off that island prison, she could kill them. Because she couldn't do it before she got off the island prison, she's a B-list villain, so you are a B-list villain kid." Why did it matter when Cruella killed those puppies? What mattered was that she actually killed them eventually, right? That didn't necessarily make him a lesser villain kid than Mal, Evie and Jay.

"As if your dad was such a bad-ass," Carlos countered Jay's explanation, "Only with the genie's help he could become a real threat. Let's face it – he's just a glorified vizier right now, whatever that is." The grin on Jay's face was long gone when Carlos mentioned his father. Now it was his time to be furious. Nobody was allowed to talk about his father like that, especially not a fellow villain kid.

"You take that back _right now_ or I'll…"

"Stop fighting!" Evie yelled to draw their attention. It worked – she had silenced both young men, who were staring at her now. She didn't spend time looking at the two, instead focused again on her mirror. They didn't say anything else, expect a well-meant "she's right" on both sides. She made them admit this argument was stupid and pointless. If it was that important to one of them, they'd continue that argument elsewhere. Jay went to stand next to Evie, while Carlos preferred to watch them from ten feet.

Carlos remained silent, but his mind went in overdrive. Oh, how he wished to go to the Evil Queen and tell her what her daughter has been doing! Of course she knew of the peasants, even approved of her method of persuasion, but she would freak out if she ever found out Evie has been having a serious relationship for longer than a year. She was supposed to go with Henry to the Southern Isles and stay there with him if he hadn't suddenly disappeared! Evie would've lived her villainous happily ever after with him, but those plans now are only postponed.

There were two reasons for him not having told the Evil Queen of her daughter's preferences yet. First of all, the Evil Queen scared him. The 'Evil' in her name wasn't there for nothing. Second of all, Evie would be mad at him for telling her mother the secret she's been keeping for so long.

"I don't know," Evie replied, "Mother told me it could get me any kind of information!"

"Anything else she said about it?" Jay wondered. Evie nodded.

"She mentioned it's impossible to find something that's concealed with dark magic." The friends looked at each other. Nobody needed to say what they were thinking right now. The only people who practiced dark magic (and succeeded) were villains or desperate peasants. But no villains or descendants they knew or heard from would be willing to place a spell on the only item able to cancel out dark magic.

"Then we'll have to find it another way," Mal said. "Ask the mirror where the resistance is hiding out." Evie did as she was told. Unfortunately, the mirror couldn't locate the current hide-out either. Then she asked the mirror to give them the faces of the people who were members. The mirror did know the answer to that question. Many faces flashed by in a second. They noticed many of them were their age. There were some older men and women present, but most of the resistance was made up out of young men and women who dedicated their life to fighting villains.

How pathetic. They knew they didn't stand a chance, right?

"I know that guy," Jay said, pointing at the mirror. Evie told the mirror to show them the guy Jay was talking about. It was still a young man, sitting on the ground in a dark cell. His clothes were dirty and he was looking at the ground. he looked like every imprisoned resistance member: no way out, no hope left, nothing left to do but wait for his execution to come. "He's right there. I already suspected he was the resistance guy they caught."

"So, what's the plan?" Carlos wondered, not looking at the resistance member. They would have to need a plan to find that wand. They couldn't just cross the country and go look for it in public.

"We," Mal began, a plan starting to form in her head, "need to find a resistance member, befriend him and find the resistance through him." Evie, Jay and Carlos looked at each other. Mal could already guess what they were thinking, what they didn't dare to say out loud.

"And you think it's going to work?" Jay eventually asked. Mal nodded with a sly grin on her face.

"Well, we already got our guy, now we just need a way in." The silence came back as Mal stared at them; waiting for any reaction. Carlos shook his head.

"Sounds great, but there's one minor problem," he said, "Everyone knows who we are, even if they've never met us. you, of all people, will definitely stand out there. We're all kids of the greatest villains to ever live! Do you really believe that guy is just going to trust you?" Mal nodded with a determined look on her face.

"He will," she said, "We just need a good story to begin with." Everyone believes a good story, especially when the best liars of the world would be the one telling it. They just had to make up the perfect story so the resistance would believe it. They sure wouldn't be gullible after everything they had been through.

"I'm all out of ideas." Jay said, "What about you guys?" Carlos just shrugged. It didn't look like he had an idea either.

"Mal can pretend her mother was the source of her evilness!" Evie said with a smile on her face. Carlos frowned, Jay looked up and Mal nodded in agreement with her. She liked that idea.

"Great idea!" Carlos said sarcastically, "Nobody will believe that. The daughter of Maleficent _not_ evil? Yeah, right." He voiced Jay's exact thoughts which he liked to keep for his own. He didn't want to disappoint his girlfriend by telling her he thinks it's a stupid idea.

"My mother and I are good at making potions," Evie said, glaring at Carlos, who didn't flinch. "We could say Maleficent asked me and my mother to make them because her daughter just didn't want to be evil like her."

"I like that idea," Mal said with a big smile on her face, "Let's do it!"

"What? Like, right now?" Jay wondered. Mal's excitement had made him think they were going to start with this plan right away. Mal shook her head.

"No, not now," she said, "But if I were you, I'd be ready to act when this guy is about to be executed." She looked at the mirror again, who was still showing them the poor boy who would die within a couple of days. She couldn't get a clear shot of his face, but that wasn't important right now. When his time was there, she could see what he looked like.

"I just remembered something," Jay said, "What if he's going to be replaced? We have no control about that." Mal realized she had forgotten all about the replacement while figuring out this plan. She shook her head – there was a simple solution for that problem.

"Then he'll die and another resistance member can take me there. At least I'll have tried. If not… there are some very interesting spells in this spell book," She looked at it as she said that last phrase, "Either way, I can't show up here until I've found the wand. One of you will have to tell my mother what I am doing with the resistance. She'll understand. If they can't or won't lead me to the wand immediately… you should try to find it yourselves. You're more than capable of doing so. If you found it, contact me and hand it over, or else…" She didn't have to finish her sentence. They could clearly hear the creatures at the other end of the hallway, which reinforced her statement.

"Okay, we get it," Carlos then said, "Play along, find the wand, give it to you if you haven't found it yet. What do we do now?"

"Now we are going to rehearse," Mal responded, "Let's go." She led the way out of the dungeon, closely followed by Evie, Jay and Carlos.


	4. Execution

**Alright, people, welcome back to the third chapter. Are you ready to see the plan in action? Either way, it is coming right up. Plus, if this chapter is a little long... well, everything I wanted to say is mentioned in this chapter. I'm just going to reply to your reviews and then you can read this chapter, okay? (Or you can just go straight to the chapter - your choice):**

 _Kingson24601:_ _Thanks for reviewing! That's the plan. It's supposed to be different from the film in some ways, because not everything can be the same as the original in this crazy world (though there are some things I didn't want to change). I loved to write that part!_

 _Decembra1998:_ _I'm surprised nobody else tried this before (or maybe they have and I'm just not aware of it). Maleficent isn't happy with just a piece - she wants to rule all of Auradon. Yeah, things can't always go as planned. We'll see today if Ben believes her or not. Narissa is very evil, indeed. (One of my favorite Disney villains). Thanks for reviewing!_

 _anonimo:_ _Thanks for reviewing! Here's the update._

 _pinksakura271:_ _No, there wasn't any dialogue about that. I tried not to make the chapter too long, so some parts had to be cut. That's exactly the villain hierarchy I had in mind! Long live girl power! They need the rehearsal. We'll see if Ben buys it or not. Thanks for reviewing!_

 _TKDP:_ _Thanks for reviewing! They did (his name's Ben). They'll figure something out to make it work._ _Maleficent doesn't, but Evie and her mother do. They prefer locking them up at Maleficnt's castle 'cause it's closer to the village and they don't want those boys to be locked up in their own castle. Yeah, that about sums it up, though I hadn't thought of it that way. It's a harsh world they're living in and it can get pretty dark in the (near) future._

 _PurpleNicole531:_ _Your suspicion is right. Their friendship may not last that long, sadly enough - I wish there was another way. Those items will certainly come in handy later. Thanks for reviewing!_

 **Enjoy!**

 **-Writer207**

* * *

Ben had no idea how long he had been in this dungeon. He did know he was stuck here for longer than 48 hours. His only companions were seven of Evie's latest victims, but they weren't very talkative. Maybe it was better that way, so they wouldn't continuously talk about her. Their hearts may be broken, but he did not want to hear them complain or whine. Besides, there were worse things that needed his attention.

First of all, his ankle. The guards only came to bring him some old bread and a bit of water from time to time, and since they put him here, nobody came to check upon the wound. He saw no other option than to rip a piece from his shirt and wrap it around the wound. He hoped it would stop the bleeding and keep out infections. He hasn't changed the improvised bandage yet, mostly because he was afraid of what he would see. He figured he'd only see dry blood and maybe an infected wound that has trouble with healing. That wound was also the reason he wasn't able to walk properly, so he wouldn't be able to leave, even if he wanted to.

From his position he couldn't see it, but the heavy door opened again. It could be anyone – from the guards to the son of Jafar. Today, the visitors were the guards. He could only watch as the two guards opened the cell and forced him to get on his feet. _This is it,_ he thought, _enjoy your last moments._ He didn't struggle, let the guards pick him up and drag him out of his cell. Just a week ago, he would have never thought he'd let guards bring him to the square and just kill him. What's the point? Nobody would be able to save him once he was there. His friends couldn't risk getting caught. The others were too afraid.

They drag him away from the seven other prisoners. He tried to walk, but his ankle hurt too much to be able to properly walk. He didn't have a choice, though. While they walked through the hallway, the guards suddenly stopped. Ben wondered what made them stop until his eyes fell on the second door. He and the guards were silent, but the same couldn't be said about the creatures behind the door. They growled, barked dangerously, attacked the door. Ben noticed the guards were just as nervous as he was. He thought he'd be brought to the square.

"Does this one have to be replaced?" One of the guards wondered out loud. The other shrugged.

"Why don't we find that out right now?" the guards straightened their backs when they heard that voice. A shiver went down Ben's spine once she had said that. He already guessed who was coming to see him, and he didn't like it one bit. Descending the stairs, frightening Ben and the guards alike, was Maleficent, who showed them a wicked smile. She stopped when she was about three feet away from Ben.

"Let's see what you've got," she said and grabbed his jaw, to check him out. Ben could barely hide his fear, but was already surprised he didn't pee in his pants. Nobody said a word as Maleficent looked at Ben, who wouldn't keep his eyes off of her. The creatures behind the door had also stopped growling and attacking the door. Eventually, she pulled her hand back, leaving him wondering what that was good for.

"Bring him to the square," Maleficent said, "this one will not be replaced." She turned around and walked away. The guards stared at each other for a while, then pushed Ben forward, forcing him to walk past the door. As soon as Maleficent was gone, the creatures started barking and attacking the door again.

"It looks like you're lucky, kid," one of them whispered. Ben had no idea if he was meant to hear it or not, but those words hit him nonetheless. Lucky, what for? Because he was not going to be 'replaced', whatever that meant? That he was going to die within an hour?

He decided not to think about it too much. His concentration went to trying to go upstairs without hurting his painful ankle too much.

* * *

Mal was watching the people gather for the execution. It was mandatory for everyone who lived in the village. The only exception was made for the old, babies and people who, due to illness or something else, weren't able to get out of bed to witness the event. The people were gathering, waiting for the resistance member to arrive and be killed.

Mal was sitting at what she and her friends considered 'the best spot' to watch the execution – from a completely different angle as the townsfolk, but they would still be able to see those who were to die clearly. For now, the resistance member hadn't arrived yet, but two goons were already standing to separate the crowd from the wooden stage where the poor unfortunate soul would meet his end.

From the corner of her eyes, she could see how Carlos ran towards her. She turned around, firmly holding her spell book in her hand. Once he reached her, he rested for some seconds and panted before telling her what she needed to know.

"Maleficent knows of the plan," he said and Mal nodded, "She knows it's just a set-up. She won't be mad at you or us." There was a chance that, when Maleficent had no idea what was going on, she would turn to Carlos, Jay and Evie to explain it and (probably) be punished because they couldn't stop her daughter.

"Good," Mal responded, "Now find Jay and Evie. It's going to begin." The resistance member could be brought any minute now, so they had to be ready to respond the way they rehearsed it. Talk loud enough for the people to hear it. Stop Mal just before the guy loses his head. After he's dead, let Mal 'escape' and make a spectacular exit, telling them she would try to stop any execution in this region from now on before actually disappearing.

Carlos nodded, glanced at something behind Mal, turned around and went to look for Evie and Jay. Mal turned around to see what Carlos was looking at, only to see a young blonde teenage boy stand there. He had his hands in his pockets and was looking at the for now empty stage with a smirk on his face.

"Quite a view you've got up here," he said, turning his head at Mal. He didn't show any sign of fear. Mal couldn't keep her anger under control – this was the spot reserved for the children of villains, not for peasants. She took her spell book out of the bag she was holding close, filled with supplies just in case she souldn't find any place to stay during her search for the wand. She opened her book and looked at him with her most evil look.

"Go where you belong, peasant, or your last moments will be spent in the middle of the square," she said it as menacing as possible. He stared at her and then shrugged, turning his head back to the stage.

"Then I'm good," he said and he sat down on the grass. "Besides, if I were to die, I would've known and wouldn't have come here. Got anything to eat?" Mal stare at him, surprised by his reaction. When she spoke with that voice, most people turned around and ran. This was the first time someone acted as if he couldn't care less. She kept her spell book open, glared at him, ready to strike at any moment.

"Who are you?" She asked him. If she really is going to kill him, she had to know what his name was.

"My name is Hadrian," the boy said, "I'm sure you've never heard of me." He had a point – Mal had no idea who he was. This made it more likely that he indeed was a peasant with a big mouth and too much stupidity which he mistook for courage.

"If you are not who you say you are…" she couldn't finish her threat. Hadrian interrupted her, turning his head at her.

"Believe me, Witch," he said – the use of the nickname made her believe even more he was a peasant, "this is no joke. I never come to these parts of the kingdom because your mother intimidates my father. I only came here to see death." Hadrian looked back at the stage.

Mal closed the book, not taking her eyes off of Hadrian. He didn't seem to be intimidated by her at all. Now that she thought of it, he sat there, relaxed, as if he had no worries whatsoever in life – a privilege only given to the children of the villain elite.

"Who are you?" she asked him again. "Really?"

"I should have introduced myself with my other name," Hadrian said, finally introducing himself properly and making his true identity known, "I am Hadrian, also known as the Demigod of Death. You're a smart girl, you'll know who I am." Mal made the connection as soon as he mentioned the nickname the people gave him.

"You are Hades' son," Mal then said. He looked at her.

"Correction," he said, "one of Hades' sons. For a guy who doesn't like mortals, he seems to have a thing for mortal women." He didn't say anything else and didn't make any other attempts to continue the conversation, so Mal didn't, too. Instead, she put her spell book back in the bag and looked around to see if Carlos, Evie and Jay were already coming. There were no signs of them yet. And the spectacle was about to begin! Her gaze soon fell upon Hadrian again, who was minding his own business, waiting for the spectacle to begin. She would leave him alone, but not after asking one more question.

"How did you earn your nickname?" Mal asked him eventually. She just had to know. There was a reason for every nickname, and it wasn't given with only the heritage in mind.

"It isn't as spectacular as you'd think it is," he said, "Some my brothers and sisters are stronger than me, some have inherited nothing from our father." He turned his head to Mal. The smirk had disappeared. "I know when people die. Not how or why or where or even the exact hour, but I do know when the people around me die. Whenever I look at a person, I know when he will meet his end: it's either not yet, soon or late." As a son of Hades, it made sense he had powers related to death. Still, she wanted to know how he knew some resistance member was going to be killed today. He didn't mention knowing where they would die.

"How did you…" Mal began, but Hadrian was faster than her.

"It's some sort of sixth sense that pulls me to places where they die. Apparently it likes seeing resistance members and murder over natural deaths. It pulled me here. Must've been such an important death." Mal frowned when she heard the last sentence.

"Must have been?" She wondered out loud. The resistance member was going to die today, that was part of the plan. Then why did he mention it 'must have been' such an important death, as if he would survive?

"As soon as we started talking," he explained, "the feeling I have whenever someone is going to die disappeared. Vanished in thin air. It's never happened before, except for those few times when someone showed up to save their lives. Your mother will be very angry if she knew what you're doing." Mal stared at him. Was he being serious or not? She would never save someone who pledged allegiance with the resistance.

"Do you really think I will free him?" she wondered.

"Yes, I am certain you will. If not, I would've still felt it." He sounded serious, not in the mood to lie to her – then again, who would ever lie to the daughter of Maleficent? He showed his smirk again and turned his head back to the stage. If the death of the resistance member was what made him stay, then why wasn't he leaving? Maybe he was lying after all.

"Mal!" She turned her head when Carlos shouted her name. He was walking closer to her, followed by Jay and Evie. Not far away from where they were walking, followed two of the guards with the to-be-executed resistance member. He was having trouble walking, resting on one feet longer than the other, limping forward. There was no way he could get far with running if he ever was saved.

"Who is that?" Jay wanted to know, looking at Hadrian, who chose to ignore the three newcomers and mind his own business.

"Hadrian, son of Hades," Mal said. She paused for second or two before she continued, "I want to begin early. When they've started proclaiming his crimes, we strike. I am going to save his life." Her friends' eyes widened in surprise, looking at each other.

"What?" Carlos said, "I thought we'd stop you and let you escape when he was already dead." Mal shook her head. The guards with the resistance guy were coming closer to the stage. The crowd had fallen silence from the moment he came into view. The guards pushed him, tried to make him walk faster.

"Change of plans," Mal said, "He has to live. I'll have a better chance of finding out where the resistance is and the wand when that guy can show me himself. After all, I'll have saved his life." The guards and the resistance member reached the stage, making him stumble. He hit the wooden boards, but didn't show any sign of pain. Yet.

"But what if he's replaced?" Evie wondered, "I mean, if he is, he won't be able to show you anything." Mal nodded, admitted she had thought about that, too. She turned her head to see they placed the guy on his knees, chin resting on a wooden block, ready to be killed. The two guards left his side, walked towards their two colleagues to calm the crowd. The executioner walked onto the stage.

"We'll have to take that risk," Mal responded. So what if he was replaced? She was certain someone in the crowd has pledged allegiance to the resistance, so they'd know what she did. The goon who accompanied the executioner held a paper in his hand with the crimes of the convicted written on it. He started to read them aloud, giving Mal two minutes to act.

"Was it Hades' kid who told you to save his life or not?" Jay then asked her. Mal realized he tried to keep her talking, so they could stick to the original plan. Kill the guy, but show compassion and run away. Mal shook her head.

"He didn't," she said, keeping her answer short. She then turned around and walked a little closer to the stage. Not too close, but still close enough for everyone to hear her. "Leave him alone!" she said. As soon as she said that, everyone turned their attention to her. The goon who was reading the crimes to the crowd, had stopped and looked at her, too. he didn't continue right away – as Maleficent's daughter, she maintained a certain level of authority, but still not as high as her mother.

"Mal!" Evie shouted it, "Come back here? What are you doing?" she then continued with a softer tone, barely a whisper only the villain kids could hear. "This isn't part of the plan." Mal knew she couldn't just start whispering back, so instead she chose to rely on the rehearsed reaction to a similar question.

"I can't just watch an innocent boy getting killed because of something he is not." She hoped the crowd would believe it. So far, they were watching with big interest. Even the goons and guards watched the scene unfold. Only the resistance guy who would've soon been killed wasn't looking in her direction.

"What happened to her?" Carlos said, remembering the prewritten reaction to that phrase.

"Mal, you should really take a drink," Jay then said, reaching out a small flacon with water, which was supposed to represent the brew that would make Mal evil. They had thought out an entire fake backstory – the better you were prepared, the more people would believe it.

The only one who wouldn't play along was Evie, because she wanted to see him die. That meant one less resistance member to worry about. Yet, if they played it well, they could take care of him, too, once they've found the wand.

"Don't stand in my way," Mal said, then turned around and walked a little closer again until she was right at the stage. "Let him go," Mal said in a threatening voice. The guards looked at each other, unsure what to do. Maleficent told them to kill the boy, but her daughter was telling them to let go. While they wondered what they were supposed to do, Mal took the spell book from the bag again and opened it at the right page. She had bookmarked it last evening so she wouldn't forget the page where the stunning spell was located.

Only when she opened the book, the boys jumped into action. They ran to her and tried to take her down and get her to drink the so-called evil potion. Mal was faster. She quickly read the spell, then turned around right in time to stun Carlos and Jay. They were running at her with full speed, thenthey stopped and fell to the ground, seemingly unconscious. Evie preferred to stay out of trouble, watching as Mal progressed with the plan on her own terms.

There were loud gasps from the crowd. Finally, some sounds rose from them, whispering about their disbelief and Mal's actions. The resistance guy tried to turn his head, but the executioner positioned his head back in place. Her attack convinced the guards and goons something was wrong and that they should hurry up.

Mal was faster. She put her spell book away (she now knew the spell) and walked up on the stage. Again, she pronounced the spell, knocking out the executioner and his friend. She had barely cast it or she was already standing next to the resistance guy and continued to cast a spell she's always wanted to use.

" _Coast, woods, far or near, take us far away from here_ ," she said, grabbing the resistance guy before she pronounced the last words. The guards were coming to her, ready to arrest her and bring her to her mother. She then vanished in thin air, along with the resistance guy.

* * *

Ben had no idea what was going on. While he was sitting there on his knees, he looked out in the crowd to find at least a few familiar faces. There were none, which scared and relaxed him at the same time. Relaxed, because they wouldn't have to see him die. Scared, because he'd have to face his end alone. Then again, he's always known this was going to be his end. The crowd was silent, he noticed, and he tried to listen to the fight between Mal – at least, he guessed it was her – and her friends. After the crowd had gasped, everything went so fast. The executioner behind him collapsed, the daughter of Maleficent came closer, grabbed him and dragged him away from the stage.

They landed in the dense forest. He looked around, trying to orientate himself. He recognized where he was after a while, about thirty miles away from the village. The alliance was a little further away, yet close enough to go there on foot. His ankle still hurt and he had gotten small cuts and a lot of pain from landing at this spot, where a plant with sharp thorns grew.

"What just happened?" He said out loud.

"I saved your life," a very familiar voice said behind him. He turned around and then saw Maleficent's daughter sitting not far away from him. He froze and could've sworn he turned pale when he saw her. How did he not see her when he looked around the first time? He decided not to take her eyes off of her, only because of how dangerous she can be. Some more questions arose when he stared at her. What was she doing here? What was her reason for 'saving' him? What would she do now they had arrived here, miles away from any civilization, too easy to commit murder?

Fear kicked in once she looked at him. That fear has kept him alive for a very long time. But now, during one of the rare moments someone of the villain elite wasn't trying to kill him immediately, Ben found some bravery in himself. It wasn't much, but it was enough to talk to her.

"Why did you do it?" he said, trying to get up with the help of a tree – the sooner he was away from her, the better. "For your mother, your friends, your…"

"I just wanted to help you," she said in response. Ben eventually got up and tried not to stand too much on his painful ankle.

"So, now what?" he wondered where he found the courage to continue talking, "We're out of the village, all alone, so if there's anything you want to do with me, don't even bother." He still couldn't take his eyes off of her. Mal, on the other hand, couldn't stop staring at her, seemingly taking in every detail. She stared at his feet for a longer time than any other body part.

"There is something I should do," she then said. She reached in her bag. Ben's eyes widened when he saw the old spell book. Fear kicked in again, this time bigger than a minute ago. It was stronger than himself – he started to walk away as fast as he could, occasionally looking behind him to see if she was following him.

During one moment of not paying attention, he stumbled and fell on his stomach. His ankle ached and he didn't immediately get up. When he finally turned on his back and sat up straight, Mal was kneeling in front of him with the open spell book in her hands, already citing the spell out loud.

Once she was done talking, the aching in his ankle stopped. He looked at her, surprised. She put away her book and then reached out for the improvised bandage. He tried to say something and make her stop, but she was already removing it. When it was removed, the bullet wound wasn't anywhere to be seen. His leg and foot were still dirty and covered with blood, but at least the wound was gone.

Ben could barely believe his eyes. He reached out for his ankle and felt nothing but his rough skin with no sign of the wound. He looked up at Mal, who faintly smiled when she saw him. It freaked him out, but he was to astonished to think about her smile.

"You healed it," he said. you could hear the surprise in his voice.

"Yes," she said, "that's what good people do."

"But you're evil." He couldn't help it, he just blurted it out. Luckily, she only shrugged after he said that.

"I was. I never really wanted to be evil," she said and then sighed, "Look, I'm sure mother is looking for me. I don't know what she'll do to me if she finds me. Do you know a place to stay?" Ben wanted to help her – after all, she did save his life – but had no idea where to take her. They would look for her wherever they went. Actually, there was only one place where she could stay and where they wouldn't find her – but he didn't think the alliance would be happy with that.

"Can I trust you?" he asked her. If he couldn't trust her, he probably shouldn't take her to the alliance. As the current leader, his first act shouldn't be bringing an enemy inside. He needed to know if she could be trusted. Besides, someone of her kind already lived with them in peace for several months. Maybe she could be just like him.

"Yes, you can. I promise," she said. It sounded somewhat forced. Ben shook his head.

"I don't know if you…" while he stammered those words, she muttered something he couldn't quite hear – he thought she was swearing – and eventually stopped talking when she decided not to whisper anymore and talk out loud.

"Please," Mal started to beg, "Everyone I know is looking for me. I'm not safe at this moment. I'm not yet skilled enough to save myself. Would you please help me?" Ben looked at her again. After hearing these words, he knew he had to help her. If he was in her situation, he would want some help, too. He may still be a little wary, but at least he started to trust her. The emotion behind those words can't be faked.

"Follow me," he said, finally getting up from the ground, "I know where we can stay." Mal got up, too, and they started walking through the forest, with Ben leading the way.

"Are we going to the resistance?" she immediately asked. Ben stopped and turned around, having a puzzled look on his face. Mal immediately corrected herself. "I'm sorry, that's what mother always called it." He forgave her, only because she is used to calling them that.

"Yes, we're going to the alliance," he said. This was the first time (and maybe only time) she heard the word coming out of an alliance member's mouth. Ben continued walking and hoped this wasn't the biggest mistake of his life.


	5. Trust issues

**I'm back with another chapter! Who is ready to see the alliance? But first they'll have to go there and who knows what could happen on the way there... Anyway, first there'll be the responses to your reviews, and then you can read what Ben and Mal talk about as they go to the alliance. Here they are:**

 _Decembra1998:_ _Thanks for reviewing! Today, you will see where he is taking her. More information about the replacement process will be announced right before the finale. You will have to be patient to find out what is means._

 _anonimo:_ _Well, here's the next update. Thanks for reviewing!_

 _Kingson24601:_ _Thanks for reviewing! We'll see what happens between them. I can say loyalties will shift a lot throughout the story. That would be funny, indeed, but Mal will certainly have to work to earn the trust of the resistance/alliance._

 _PurpleNicole531:_ _Hadrian will show up once or twice, but not much more. He isn't that important to the story, anyway. Thanks for reviewing!_

 _pinksakura271:_ _Thanks for reviewing! Well, they were not going to treat him well. He doesn't get a special treatment. Maye she should have, but we'll see what she'll do when she meets him again. Off course she knows - God knows what would happen if she didn't. Ben was scared because, well, everyone is scared of what the villains are capable of. We'll see what Mal will do in the resistance._

 _TKDP:_ _We'll see him once or twice later, so we'll see if he's got something up his sleeve. I don't know if he can convince her, but let's hope she won't. You There is indeed something you don't know (yet). You'll have to wait a little longer for it, but not too long, I promise. Thanks for reviewing!_

 _blackkitty5133:_ _Thanks for reviewing! Carlos is cool indeed. I don't really have a favorite, they're all amazing!_

 **Enjoy!**

 **-Writer207**

* * *

They had walked in silence for a while now. Mal took in as much details of this walk as she possibly could, so she could later show her friends and mother the way to the resistance. She could just open the spell book and look for the spell that would place him under her control, but that would take a lot of time. Besides, he'd probably see her look for the spell. From time to time, he'd turn his head to her, as if to make sure she was still following him. She had to do it the hard way and now realized she'd better have looked for the spell during the preparation.

"So," Mal began, trying to get the resistance guy to talk to her, "am I allowed to know your name or is that classified?" he didn't immediately respond, but he did answer her question.

"I don't know if I should trust you with it," he said. Well, at least she tried to figure out who he was and why he was so important. She was certain that, if she continued to play her part, she would eventually figure out who he truly is.

"I assume you don't know who I am," he then said. Mal nodded.

"No, I have no idea," she responded. She didn't add that she knew he was important to the resistance. He turned his head, maybe to deduce whether she was lying or not.

"I'm Ben," he eventually said. He looked in front of him again, trying to find the right way to the resistance. Mal nodded. Ben… she had to remember the name. It was easier to identify resistance members by their face because that was harder to change than their names, but she wanted to remember it anyway. It was the only name he'd give her – for all she knew, he could have a completely different name.

"It's a nice name," she commented, feeling a little disgusted by herself. _Nice name? Good going. Try not to be too suspicious._ She felt like saying something, though she might stop doing that because it gave her an uneasy feeling.

"Thanks," he said, not sure what to say next. Eventually, the next topic became quite clear. There were some things he needed to know. "If you're not evil right now…" he paused, trying to find the best way to continue, "How did you become a good person? Were you a good person before? Did you pretend to be evil?" He found no other solution than to just ask the three connected questions which were on his mind.

"It's a long story," Mal said, trying to remember what story they had come up with. When she remembered, she started telling her so-called backstory. "As a young girl, I was not the perfect daughter. My mother wanted me to act like her, so I did. I was a kid; I didn't know any better. I must've been nine or ten when my mother made me watch an execution. I was looking forward to it, because she was talking about it as if it was a good thing. But off course, good is bad for a villain and… anyway, I saw an older man getting beaten. I…" She took a deep breath as part of her act and then continued. "I asked her to stop beating the man. I knew it was so wrong. I wanted it to stop. As far as I knew, he hadn't done anything wrong. Mother responded with killing the man herself and dragging me to my room, making clear that this is what I should enjoy. She said a lot more, but I can remember the angry look in her eyes when she scowled me."

"So you pretended to be evil and waited for a chance to break free from her?" Ben guessed. They passed a small creek – the water didn't go any further than their ankles. There was a risk of falling into the water nonetheless. Ben couldn't see it because he was to focused on watching his steps, but Mal shook her head.

"Not exactly," she responded, "My mother is good friends with the Evil Queen, who is good at making potions. She asked the Evil Queen to make me a potion which would make me evil. She did, but the effects only last for a week. During my meal on the evening the man died, she did some of it in my drink. That was the point when I became evil, even if I didn't want to. I continued to drink the potion because when I was evil and when I heard I had to drink it at least once a week to stay evil, I did. The evil me wouldn't want to become a good person. Luckily, I've been taking it for so long that I could convince myself to wait 'one more day' with drinking it, making sure I would not. The result is running away and saving you." There was a long silence. Mal wondered if he knew it was a ruse, started to think he knew this was a fake story because of the lack of reaction. Eventually, he did say something, turning his head to her again.

"Wow," he said, "I never looked at it that way. That villains' kids can be forced into villainy like that," he quickly added to avoid confusion. Mal nodded. _He believes it!_ she thought, _how stupid can he be?_

"Well, it happened to me," Mal responded. "I have no idea if others have to do it, but I am certain my friends aren't forced at all – if I can still call them my friends." She remained silent, waiting for another response. She guessed Ben had no idea how to react to that and instead opted to remain silent, too. The rest of the trip was spent in silence, sometimes broken by some guesses when they heard something suspicious. At least an hour must have passed when Ben stopped.

"Why did we stop?" Mal wondered, looking around, "Are we there?" She didn't understand how they could hide out here – the plants on the grounds were still dense, but she noticed people have walked here before. They were standing on a low pile of dirt where no plants grew. Other than that, she saw nothing special about this particular spot in the forest.

Ben turned around to face Mal. He held a small vial in his hands, filled with some transparent liquid. He looked at her. He wanted to say something, but Mal was faster.

"What's in the vial?" she wondered out loud. This time, she allowed Ben to talk.

"I can't take you and further than this," he explained, "Nobody is allowed to know exactly where the alliance is located, except the trusted members who would never betray us out of free will. So whenever we bring a visitor, we offer this to them," he handed the vial to Mal, "One sip is more than enough. Once you drank it, you give the vial back to me. Within a minute, you will slowly fall asleep. It will only last for two hours, more than enough time to bring you inside the alliance. There, we will decide what is going to happen to you. Some elders will have to allow you to continue your way in. If not, you will be brought back to this spot and then you'll be on your own."

Mal looked up from the vial to Ben as he explained the current situation and found herself annoyed with the situation. She had hoped it was easier to get into the resistance – and to actually get to learn where the front door is – but if this is the way it has to be, then what is there to lose? If she doesn't succeed to get into the resistance, she would be back here. She'd learn the spell to put someone under her command and enchant a member, who could bring her into the resistance. Either way, she had to give this a try. What else could she do? She couldn't just refuse to take it in, so she took the lid of the vial and took a sip. She almost spit it out when she had – the terrible taste only allowed people to take one sip or else they'd risk throwing up. At least she had drunk that one bit. She gave it back to Ben before she could drop it. He took it, placed the lid back on the vial and put it away again, waiting for the effects of the liquid to kick in.

Some time passed without anything exciting happening. Mal was about to say something about it, but couldn't. She was growing tired, getting dizzy, unable to stand on her legs. She almost stumbled, but found support with Ben. He held her arms so she wouldn't immediately fall down. He helped her into a sitting position and he himself went to sit on his knees. She couldn't hold this position for too long, though, as she soon grew too tired to sit and had to lay down. She looked up into the clear blue sky and the tops of the trees. She did not value this sight and instead, she wondered if she could figure out a way to get her hands on the potion – it could always be helpful in some situations. That was her last thought before she closed her eyes and allowed herself to go to sleep, knowing she'd wake up at the resistance base two hours later.

* * *

She did wake up two hours later – just not at the place she'd expected. Once she was wide awake, she quickly took in her surroundings. She was trapped in a badly illuminated room with no windows and one door with a small window at eye-height. That window was her only light source. At the other side of the door, there were voices discussing things. At least seven different voices waited for their own turn to speak, even if two came back a lot more than the others.

Mal could've been able to see them discuss if they hadn't tied her to the chair that stood in the middle of that room. Her arms were tied with a narrow piece of rope to the armrests, her legs were tied to the legs of the chair. She didn't know any spell which could potentially free her – she's never had to use a spell like this before. She struggled for a while, trying to free herself, but eventually realized she couldn't get out of the chair and out of the room unless one of the people outside freed her. She stopped struggling and instead opted to listen to the conversation the people outside were holding.

"... and I won't allow it!" A clear, male voice said. Mal didn't recognize it. He sounded angry.

"I know, this is only the seventh time you said it," a second voice said. Mal recognized this voice – it was Ben. The first speaker confirmed her suspicion when he spoke again.

"Use your brain, Ben! We're talking 'bout a villainess - Maleficent's daughter, no less! Don't you remember how many people she's killed? We all lost at least one family member to her. You too, if I remember correctly. Why do you keep protecting her?" That's when Mal realized they were talking about her. She remembered Ben said they were going to discuss whether she was allowed to stay with them or not. now she knew Ben defended her and the mystery guy did not. She guessed it was him who had the idea of tying her to a chair.

"She is different," Ben said.

"She's not," the first speaker declared. His feigned calm voice betrayed his true emotions – Mal recognized the tone from the many times she threatened someone.

"She can be trusted," Ben said in his defense, not using the same tone the first speaker used. Mal wondered if Ben tried not to sound like him or not.

"How do you know that?" the first speaker said, "For all we know, she put a spell on you that made you trust her." _I almost did,_ Mal said, but didn't say it out loud. It would be dumb to say it like that, when all those people could hear her.

"She didn't put a spell on me. I would've known," Ben sounded convinced of his case and Mal nodded. He was right, only because if she had, she would've blown her cover. And as much as she hated to pretend being evil, she still had to play her part.

"You would?" the first speaker said with a tone Mal liked to use, "Philip applied his protection on you, like, four days ago. It should have worn off by now. You should be we took away that spell book of hers. Believe me, there's no reason to trust her. She is dangerous and needs to leave before Maleficent shows up and kills us all!" Only when he mentioned her spell book, Mal started to look around for the bag she had prepared. It was nowhere to be seen. She started to panic. No bag meant no food, no water and no spell book. She eventually calmed herself down, telling herself they might be guarding the book, hoping Ben thought she stole it from her mother as a preparation for this trip.

"That's enough!" A third voice, a female voice, interfered before Ben and the first speaker could continue their argument. "There's no need to fight. Yes, she can be dangerous. Yes, there's a chance she can be trusted. Only time will tell. At least, if she stays, someone can be her guide."

"If someone wants to," the first speaker said.

"Stop it! This has been going on for far too long. Now apologize." She sounded mad. For a second, everyone remained silent. Mal suspected the two boys were afraid of her. Then, Ben started to talk.

"I'm sorry," he said, "I shouldn't have immediately contradicted you. Everyone has the right to speak their mind, and so do you." Ben didn't have to wait too long for an answer.

"I'm not," the first speaker said.

"Chad…" the girl said, trying to sound threatening.

"I am not," the first speaker – whose name is apparently Chad – repeated, emphasizing each word. Mal now wished she was able to see the argument play out in front of her. Now that would have been interesting to watch instead of only being able to hear what they were saying.

"Guys!" a fourth voice interfered. Everyone, even Mal, froze. They remained silent and waited for him to talk again. he must be older than the others, Mal guessed. At least, his voice sounded like it belonged to a middle-aged man and not a teenager. "Stop talking or you will be excluded from the voting. Now, let's start. Who votes in favor of sending her out of the forest?" Nobody said a word. Mal would've liked to hear the result, but apparently they didn't vote that way. She could at least guess that Chad was voting now.

"Who is in favor of accepting her in our ranks with strict conditions?" Again there was no sound, just as with the third question. "Who is in favor of accepting her without conditions?" Only after that last question, people started to talk again. Everyone expressed their feelings about the result with one clear 'you've got to be kidding me!' from Chad and some other reactions.

"Then it is decided," the man said, "You can all go now." Footsteps could be heard, walking left and right, eventually disappearing. After what seemed like ages, two people came back and they put the key in the keyhole. Not much later, the door opened and light flowed into the room.

When her eyes had adjusted to the light, she saw two people had walked in. One of them was Ben – it was nice to see a familiar face – and the other one was an Asian girl. There wasn't anything special about her, except that the sword, hidden in the sheath she carried, probably was very sharp.

"We decided you can stay under strict conditions," Ben declared and then looked at the Asian girl, "This is Lonnie. She will look for someone to guide you during the first month." Lonnie nodded and she took her sword. As expected, it looked really sharp. Mal stared at it in awe. She knew the resistance was quite resistant, though she didn't know they allowed girls to wield swords or any kind of weapon. Luckily, Lonnie only used it to cut the ropes. Mal rubbed her wrists and once the ropes at her legs were removed, she stood up.

Ben spoke up again. "As the leader of the alliance, I have the, er, honor of welcoming you in the alliance." Lonnie nodded as she put her sword away. Mal looked at Ben. So that was why he was so important – he was the leader of the resistance! Another question then rose. _He's just a boy, why is he the leader? Why isn't that older guy the leader?_

"C'mon," Lonnie said, trying her hardest to sound friendly," let's go find you a guide."


	6. A first extraction

**Hey again! I should've updated sooner, but I have been very busy the past week, but now I'm back with another chapter. Two other characters will be introduced today (though I don't know if they'll be important to the story - I'll let them decide that). But first, here are my responses to your reviews:**

 _Kingson24601:_ _Thanks for reviewing! Of course Ben is smarter than he seems, though everyone's a little different in this universe (example: Lonnie with sword). I'm trying to keep him as canon as possible, ust like the others, though it's hard sometimes with this concept. And no, she will not be watched by Lonnie because she's needed elsewhere, but she's found the perfect person to watch her._

 _PurpleNicole531:_ _I'm guessing she'll try to do both - find the location and befriend them. We'll see if she'll want to become good. Thanks for reviewing!_

 _pinksakura571:_ _Thanks for reviewing! Of course Ben's not naive. And technically Mal is going with "my mother did this to me, I didn't want this", but it does look like that. She thought there would be difficulties, but not like this. I hate ti admit it, but he was right. Lonnie's reason for not being her guid will be explained this chapter._

 _jaleftwich:_ _I can confirm this will contain Bal, even if it may not be too much present. I haven't decided on any other pairings yet. Thanks for reviewing!_

 _Decembra1998:_ _Thanks for reviewing! Mal and I don't like that kind of system either, but that's the way it is. We'll meet Doug later, but it wasn't him. They just took her bag, which was a standard procedure (so technically, the resistance took it away, not specifically Chad or Ben)._

 _TKDP:_ _She doesn't know yet, indeed, luckily. Yeah, Chad's being Chad in this story. He'll stay like this. The older man isn't exactly an OC because we've all heard of him... (hint: he appears in a Disney movie). Well, Ben technically told Mal he's the leader at the end of the previous chapter - though the real question is: will he stay the leadr when his father returns or not? Thanks for reviewing!_

 **Enjoy!**

 **-Writer207**

* * *

Mal followed Lonnie through the resistance camp, trying to take in as much details as possible. The camp was bigger than she'd expected, holding more people than she'd imagined. The camp was built in the open air, in the middle of the forest. There were quite a lot of building placed close to each other, made of wooden planks and tarps on top to keep out the rain. There were all kind of buildings, but they never had more than one floor for safety. They all stood rather close to each other but they still left enough space for everyone to move around freely. They were walking to the east side of the camp. Ben had to be somewhere else, but assured Mal that Lonnie would take care of her before he walked away to another spot at the camp Mal didn't know yet.

"So," Mal said, trying to start a conversation with her, "why can't you be my guide?" It would not only be much easier if she was her guide, but it would also give her an advantage if she ever got into danger. Lonnie would know her better, might even defend her when it came to it, even if resistance members were unpredictable. Lonnie answered her question, but continued to look in front of her.

"I wish I could," she said, "but I'm needed somewhere else. I'll try my best to find you the person who can guide you best. I already have someone in mind…" Mal's first thought was about how there were apparently multiple guides and that she would get 'the best', which was good. The best guide might be the most loyal guy in the camp, of whom they'll never suspect to be a potential backstabber.

"Needed somewhere else?" Mal then asked, "What do they need you for?"

"I'm responsible for training and defense," Lonnie answered. She didn't go into detail about the specifics of her job and Mal realized why. She decided not to continue asking about it – she might learn the details one day – and instead focused on finding out how reliable her guide is.

"If you're not going to be my guide, then who will?" she asked. Lonnie turned her head briefly, flashing a smile at Mal. She had no idea why the girl would do that and decided not to question it.

"Don't worry – there are multiple guides, but I think there's only one person qualified and willing to guide you."

"Really?" Mal said, hoping the only qualified guide was indeed the most reliable and loyal person in the camp. Lonnie nodded.

"Yes," she answered, "Considering your background, I think there's only one person who is willing to guide you. We're going to him now." They didn't talk for until they found him. Until then, Mal looked around. The buildings in this area stood closer to each other, resembling a small village within the resistance community. At the end of the improvised road stood a guy against a building. It was Mal's guide – Lonnie pointed at him, saying "there he is".

When he turned his head to them, Lonnie waved at him draw his attention. The attempt worked, because the guy waved back and started to walk closer to them. At the same time, Mal and Lonnie walked towards him to. When they were a little closer to each other, Mal saw how the guy stopped for a moment but then continued, slower than before. She figured it was because he had recognized him, but she thought he looked familiar, too. That face, the auburn hair, she was sure she's seen it before, though she had no idea where.

Eventually, they had come close enough to talk. The first thing Mal noticed was that he didn't look at her with the same angry looks others had been giving her, though it wasn't a friendly one, either. "What is she doing here?" The way he said this wasn't too friendly either. The guy grew more familiar with every passing second. Not only had Mal seen his face before, but she also recognized his voice from somewhere.

"She recently was voted in and she needs a guide," Lonnie explained the situation. The guy nodded as he spoke.

"So you come to me," he guessed her intentions and Lonnie nodded, "Don't worry, I'll take her in." Lonnie started to smile again.

"Thanks, Henry!" She then said and Mal's mouth fell open, staring at the guy. That's where she knew him from! Henry had visited the castle once with his father and was supposed to be there within some weeks, too.

"You're welcome," Henry replied, sending her a smile. Lonnie nodded.

"Great! Well, I have to go now, so you two can get to know each other. Have fun, I guess." Then, Lonnie turned around and walked away from the two. Henry then turned his head to Mal, who still couldn't believe her eyes. He crossed his arms and looked at her, clearly unsure what to think about the situation. Eventually, Mal recovered and spoke again.

"Henry?" she said, sounding surprised, "What are you doing here? We all thought you were dead!" Henry simply shook his head.

"Dead? Where'd you get that from, my father?" He rolled his eyes when he mentioned his father. Mal nodded in response.

"He never found you, so he assumed the worst. We all blamed the resistance."

"Well," Henry responded, "the alliance helped me when I was most desperate." He emphasised the word 'alliance', reminding Mal that if she wanted to gain their trust, she had to start saying 'alliance' instead of 'resistance'.

"How did you get here?" Mal wondered out loud. Henry looked away and shrugged.

"To make a long story short: they found me after three weeks of poverty, hunger and dirt. They accepted me under strict conditions. I had to prove myself to be trustworthy, so I did. Well, not everyone trusts me yet, but I'm on my way to make a good impression. And here I am, guiding you." Mal couldn't imagine what Henry had to go through, because she hasn't gone through something like that herself. She had no idea what to say, so she just went with expressing her gratitude of seeing the Prince here, inside resistance walls and trusted by some (hopefully by the most respected resistance members).

"Well, at least you're here now. At least two of our kind got into the res—alliance." She corrected herself at the last moment. Yet, the look on Henry's face changed. His neutral expression changed into a darker one, a more hostile one.

"Our kind? Are you talking about villains?" Of course she was talking about them being villains, but the place where they stood made it hard to say out loud. She hesitated to answer, but eventually didn't have to because Henry answered the question, "Wait, of course you do. What else would you be talking about?"

"Henry, I…" Mal tried, but Henry didn't let her.

"Mal, I get it," Henry said "I have no idea how you got in here, but there must either be a good reason or you're such a good liar or magician. If you are a good person: okay, one slip up once or twice, they won't judge you. If you're not… they will find out one way or another what your true intentions are. When they do, because they will, the life as you know it will be done. We may be the good guys, but that doesn't mean we won't do anything immoral. If you do something evil and I can prove it, I will personally tell everyone what you did and provide proof."

"Wow," was all Mal could say for a while. Never had she imagined Henry capable of selling her out to the resistance if he had to. Then again, his background may play a part in that distrust. "Well, if you have to, then do it. I no longer want to be evil and I don't want to hurt anyone here." Henry looked at her, trying to find small cracks in the mask she'd put up while she said that. Mal didn't let him see past that mask, though it was hard not to show another villain her true colors. After a while, though, Henry gave up and looked away.

"If you say you mean well, I'll believe you… for now." Mal didn't dare to sigh in relief, for it would give away her position as a spy and that would not be okay. "Now, how's Evie doing?" Mal frowned.

"Excuse me?" After everything Henry had said, that question had taken her aback. After all this time, he still thought of her. Henry waited for her answer, but nodded when he heard her say that.

"As her fiancé I have the right to know how she's doing." He said it as gentle as possible, though it did have a demanding tone to it. Mal couldn't blame him: not only had he, too, fallen for Evie, but she was also promised to him on the day they met.

"She's doing well," she eventually said, seeing no harm in telling him, "She still misses you and can't find anyone else her mother approves of, but she's happy. She'd be much happier if she knew you were alive." But Henry shook his head in response and Mal caught a glimpse of despair on his face, gone as soon as it appeared.

"I can't do that," he said "We work best in the shadows. Everyone who joins is either declared dead or missing. If I told anyone, I'd endanger the alliance. I do wish I could let her know. But if she's happy now then I'm happy, too." Was he always like this? Mal didn't know, because they only met briefly when he visited Evie for the first time and that was months ago.

She was about to ask something when a young boy came running towards them. "Henry," he yelled and Henry turned his attention to the boy. He eventually stopped running. "They need you for an extraction." He waited for the answer.

"I'm on it," Henry responded. He turned back to Mal when the boy was running away from them again. "Well, you're lucky. You immediately get a chance to prove yourself a first time. Let's go." He didn't wait for Mal as he immediately followed the boy. He didn't run, but he did walk rather fast. Mal was just able to keep up with him, unsure what was going on.

"What's an extraction?" Mal wanted to know. Henry answered without looking at her.

"A lot of people support us, but don't want to join. Those people are often in danger of being killed for supporting us, but we can't let that happen. For their safety, we move them to less oppressed areas – the 'safe zones' – where they can continue to live without raising suspicion. We are going to make sure this goes without someone being killed on the spot." That's all he wanted to say about it. It took them five minutes to get to the alliance center. The young boy, a middle-aged man with a red cape and two older women were already waiting for them to arrive. As expected, they all stared at her and recognized her. At least the man was trying not to watch her with a hostile look in his eyes.

"Here I am," Henry said, addressing himself to the man in the red cape. "Let's go."

"What is she doing here?" one of the two women asked.

"She recently joined the alliance," the man in the red cape answered her question, leaving no time for Henry to answer the question himself. When Mal heard the voice, she recognized it, having heard it today - it was the man who led the voting. "Henry is her guide."

"Before we go," Henry then said, "can you do something about her hair?"

"What is wrong with my hair?" Mal then asked a little too loudly. There was nothing wrong with it. The only thing that could cause a problem was the color, but that was it.

"Nothing," Henry replied, "We are going to try and blend in there and with your hair color, that will be a minor problem. Philip, do you have a spell for that?" He was talking to the man in the red cape, whose name apparently was Philip. Philip nodded.

"I'll see what I can do," he said. He raised a hand and pointed it at her, then mumbled in an ancient language Mal couldn't understand. She impatiently waited for him to be done. Mal didn't like the fact that she had to change her hair color, but if it helped to gain the trust of the resistance members, she'd undergo it and ask to change it back later. Besides, he was practicing magic and she had to admit she was jealous because he was allowed to do it out in the open. Once he was done casting the spell, Mal ran her hands through her hair, seeing that it had turned blonde. _Really?_ She thought. Out of all hair colors and shades they could've chosen, the man decided to make her blonde.

"Couldn't you have at least made it black?" She asked, "And why don't _you_ have to change something?" The last question was addressed to Henry, who shrugged in response.

"With blonde hair, you look more sweet than with darker hair," he answered, "and I haven't come out a lot when I still lived with my father. They barely recognize me, wherever I go. Though there was this one time..."

"Talk about it when you are almost at location," Philip suggested, drawing the attention of the five companions, successfully shutting Henry up. "I'll have to send you now before they discover them." Henry shut his mouth, keeping quiet and giving Philip the silence he may need. He did whisper a short "Brace yourself" addressed to Mal before Philip started to cast a spell again.

Mal barely remembered what happened the next minute. Wind blew in their faces and everywhere, pressing her closer and closer to Henry and the three others. Her surroundings faded away and in its place came nothing but black. She eventually had to close her eyes, too, when the wind became too strong and tears started to form. She started to get trouble with breathing when it suddenly stopped. She stumbled on her knees and took deep breaths now she could. When she opened her eyes, she noticed they weren't at the alliance anymore – instead, they weren't very far from a smaller village.

"What was that?" she asked, coughing between words, turning her head. She saw that her companions took deep breaths, too.

"That," Henry said, "is the fastest way to travel without using cars, horses or going on foot. We're trying to improve it. Now, let's move before it was too late." Even if Mal wasn't supposed to be on their side, she admired them for going through that and being able to continue their way soon after as if nothing happened. On the other hand, if they continued to travel like this, it might be a problem to find out where the resistance had made its camp. She soon followed them and no five minutes later, they had arrived in the village.

It wasn't a big village. One long street and a few alleys and roadways was all this village had, good for about five hundred inhabitants. They didn't seem to notice the five newcomers. Wherever they walked, they had to be careful not to look too suspicious. As soon as they had entered, they heard rumors from the talking citizens. According to them, the Savage would come over with twenty goons and kill the person who had shown interest in helping the resistance. As they walked through the crowd, they split up: the young boy set of on his own while the two women continued to walk behind him, one of them pretending to be his mother (though, one of them could really be his mother). Mal and Henry formed their own group.

"We're looking for an older couple," Henry said, trying to make it look like they were talking about something else entirely, "The woman told us she has white hair and would be wearing a red scarf. Her husband is coming, too. When you find them, you bring them back to where we came from and wait for us." The remainder of the time was spent in silence, looking around for the older woman with the red scarf. But what Mal saw could complicate things.

Two goons were walking around. Nobody would recognize them because they were dressed in the same rags the civilians were wearing. Mal only recognized them because they could be recognized by the white piece of clothing, almost like a handkerchief, was laying on their shoulder. Mal had recently learned that was how you recognize the goons in civilian clothing. They'd take it off once they've found the person so nobody would figure out where those goons come from. But Mal knew. She could go up to them, have Henry arrested and have Evie make him talk while Mal could claim the resistance brainwashed him into working for them. For all she knew, Philip would be able to do just that. But if she did that, there still would be a chance at failure. She'd have only a resistance member, not the Fairy Godmother's wand. She had to stick with them longer, make them believe she was good and get the information when the time was right. But if so, there still was something she had to do.

"Don't look," she warned Henry, "two goons straight ahead. White piece of clothing over shoulder." Henry tried to stay natural, though he kept an eye on the goons. They didn't seem to notice the two resistance members in the crowd.

"I'll keep 'em busy, you go find the couple," Henry said and he took a right turn when they reached the next alley, making it look like he belonged there and said goodbye to Mal. She resisted the urge to indeed walk up to the guards and instead walked past them. Not much later, there was trouble at the other side of town, which was probably caused by Henry. She turned around to see how the goons ran towards the troublemakers. She released the breath she didn't realize she was holding and she started to look around.

She found them by accident. An older man and an older woman with white hair and a dull red scarf. They were standing in front of their house and Mal looked at them. They were wary, looking at her with a fake smile and extremely nervous. Mal figured these were the people she was looking for.

"Excuse me, are you waiting for someone?" Mal said, approaching the two. The woman refused to speak, but her husband did say something.

"We are waiting for someone to pick us up," the man said and Mal nodded. They were the older couple she was supposed to pick up. She put up her friendliest smile – though it was hard to smile friendly, even if she thought of all evil things that made her happy.

"I'm one of the people who'll pick you up," Mal said and she saw the look in their eyes change immediately. They were more than willing to follow Mal, away from the village and trouble a little further in the town. Through one of the alleys, Mal lead the couple into the woods and stopped at the point where Philip had dropped them off.

"Wait here," Mal then said, "someone will come to bring you to a safe place." Mal started to look around for her four companions, who couldn't be seen anywhere. When she turned her head back to the couple, they were smiling at her.

"Thank you for saving us," the woman said, "This is why we didn't want to give up hope yet." Mal had no idea how to respond to those words, spoken with gratitude – nobody's ever talked to her like that. She answered it the way she thought people usually answered – "You're welcome." – and hoped that would be good enough.

After she had said that, a strange feeling welled up in her, something she's never felt before. It was a good feeling, one that made you smile no matter what was going on. She found it particularly hard to name it, to place it between all other emotions she's felt. Since she had no idea what it was or why it was such a pleasant feeling, she decided to try and name the source. Was is the place or time? Could it be because of the gratitude in the older couple's voice and eyes?

She was glad she didn't have to think about it too much because the boy and two women on her team arrived. One of the women told the couple they were going to bring them to the safe location. The couple said goodbye to Mal before one of them took out a phone to warn Philip. Mal was surprised to see it – only the rich and evil could afford technology like that. She decided to ask questions later as she watched how a small tornado formed where the five stood. She watched the magic do its work from the outside and the whirlwind almost pulled her closer and into it. It stopped abruptly and when the wind was gone, the five were gone. Mal stared, fascinated by this fast way to travel without needing a car.

"Hey, Mal," she turned around, slightly jumping in the air when she heard Henry's voice. She became a bit angry – how dared he sneak up on her like that how dared he scare her. she didn't literally say that, but the words she used expressed those feeling perfectly.

"Don't do that to me again." she said and Henry crossed his arms in response.

"Am I hearing a hint of evil?" Mal shook her head when he said that. of course she'd said it in an evil way, why wouldn't she? But that didn't mean Henry was supposed to know.

"Old habits never die," she said, explaining it the best she could, "especially since I turned good just this morning. You can't expect me to leave everything behind and _not_ sound a little evil once in a while?" She awaited his answer, could see he was trying his best to deduce if she was being honest or not. Eventually, he responded to her words.

"I'm still keeping an eye on you," Henry said, "C'mon, let's go back to the alliance." Mal nodded. For some reason, the pleasant feeling resurfaced. She tried to push it back, but it didn't happen. Instead, she distracted herself. _One day, you won't have to feel it anymore,_ she thought. _One day, you'll bring the resistance to its knees. You'll find the wand, you'll destroy everyone there and then you'll never have to feel it again._

She didn't contradict the fact that she may miss feeling that way because it was the best she's felt in a long time.


	7. Cursed Cave

**Hey guys! I know it's been a while and I am sorry I didn't update sooner. I blame several school projects and exams coming soon (so it may take another month before this story is updated again ) but after that, there will be three months vacation, so I hope the updates will come sooner then. Before you can read the next installment of this story, here are my responses to the reviews:**

 _Decembra1998:_ _Thanks for reviewing! I can guarantee it will get even better (or worse) as the story continues._

 _Kingson24601:_ _I'm glad you caught the reference to Dove! She can't escape the goodness. Henry is not the only one who still needs convincing (everyone except Ben won't trust her). Thanks for reviewing!_

 _jaleftwich:_ _Thanks for reviewing! Henry is the son of King Hans (Frozen). If it makes you feel better, I'm not going to set those two up (they'll only continue to bicker) because the story doesn't need that pairing._

 _pinksakura271:_ _Well, her parents were fighters, so why not? And Mal will indeed have to be more careful. Maybe he'll like the new color, maybe he won't. We'll see what so much goodness will do to her next chapter. Thanks for reviewing!_

 _PurpleNicole531:_ _Thanks for reviewing! It will influence her, yes, but will she ignore it or not? And yes, that's exactly who Henry is and what he did! Only he had more sincere motives than Mal for joining. He isn't just her lover, though... If you don't get everything right now, it will all be explained eventually._

 _brianhu1:_ _Looking at the background and history in this story, the villains could be talking and thinking about them that way, but they will never say it out loud. Thanks for reviewing!_

 **Enjoy!**

 **-Writer207**

* * *

A few days after that first extraction, Mal's friends have had no contact with her whatsoever. Carlos, Jay and Evie waited patiently for some more information, but so far she hadn't tried to contact them yet. As far as they knew, at least. She could have tried and failed. There was a high chance they took her phone or that there was no reception wherever they were hiding.

Instead of waiting and boring themselves to death, the three friends decided to follow Mal's orders. That meant they would try to find the wand from their own positions. The more people looked for it, the bigger the chance was of finding it. Jay and Evie teamed up while Carlos preferred to work on his own. Carlos was searching the internet and beyond for every bit of information they could find about the wand and its user. He could barely find any pictures of either, but the info was indeed very helpful. Before he was looking for the wand, he had no idea magic items would survive a non-magical explosion. In the meantime, Evie and Jay worked together to find the wand. Their method was that Jay listed all the places where the wand could possibly be while Evie would ask the mirror if the wand was there.

It may be a lot more efficient if she would ask the mirror where the wand was, but all she got was a blank spot. They asked the Evil Queen what it meant and she replied that whatever they were looking for was concealed with magic. They saw the same blank space when they asked the mirror where Mal was and what she was doing now. She truly was on her own now, with no way of contacting her. But this was Mal they were talking about, so they shouldn't be afraid. She could handle the situation she was in, whatever it was.

At the end of the day, Carlos could already show his progress in the search if someone ever wanted to see proof. All Jay and Evie could tell was where the wand definitely wasn't. Carlos saw that as an extra advantage. As long as they couldn't find it with the help of the mirror, he still had a chance of finding it first. He continuously typed in key words, saved information and looked up some more. He barely heard what Jay and Evie were saying in the background, but there was one time they caught his attention.

"The Cursed Cave," Jay suggested, "It has got to be there if it isn't anywhere else." Those words made Carlos look away from his screen and so he gave Jay a sceptical look while Evie asked the mirror about the Cursed Cave.

"Really?" he said, "The Cursed Cave? Do you really think they would hide the wand there?" Rumors were spread about that cave, which varied from one another depending on who was telling the story. One element that always came back in those stories was that a villain who likes to live on his or her own lived deep in the cave. Anyone who dared to enter it would end up dead or deranged. It was true people who found it put it on the map before descending the Cursed Cave. They would never return. Carlos couldn't understand why Jay would think that place would be the place where they hid the Fairy Godmother's wand. It just didn't seem like the right place to hide the wand. He felt like they would never hide that wand there.

"Why not?" Jay asked. Carlos saw a chance to tell Jay about his plans, and maybe with Evie, he could convince Jay this was the only efficient way of finding that wand since the mirror could not tell them where it was.

"I'm certain they wouldn't hide it at that specific cave," Carlos began, "That just feels… wrong. Just like it feels wrong that they hid it at every one of those places you name. I think that if they wanted to hide it somewhere, they would put it at a place we'd never think of, someplace anonymous, and give it a guardian we have never heard of. This guardian should have a good hold of magic so he or she – can control its magic if it falls into our hands. Based on that theory, I think…"

"That it wouldn't work," Jay interrupted him and Carlos shot him a frustrated look. He suppressed the feeling to take his crossbow and continue target practice with him. Instead, he decided to just say something.

"I know you think your way of solving this is superior, but you could at least give it a chance." Carlos kept staring at Jay, who returned the favour and looked at him with anger. Carlos stood up from his chair and was ready to turn this staring competition into a fight, if they had to.

"The Cursed Cave isn't too far away from here," Evie said. She had noticed it would get out of hand soon and decided it would be better to interfere before they would make stupid mistakes, "the mirror says there's a high chance the wand is there."

"That's a coincidence," Carlos said, not looking away from Jay. Jay, on the other hand, started to look away from Carlos and at Evie, pleased to hear the good news _. They can't have found the wand that quickly,_ he thought. They couldn't have.

"It does fit your theory," Evie then said, trying to satisfy both Jay and Carlos -the last thing she wanted was for them to fight. "It could have a guardian we have never heard of before." Carlos nodded – nobody knew what was down in that cave, so it could indeed be a magician-guardian hired by the resistance.

"Okay then," Jay said, "Let's go get it!" Evie and Jay walked to the door and when they were about to walk out of the room, they noticed Carlos had walked towards his computer again. He sat down on his chair.

"You're not coming?" Evie asked and Carlos shook his head.

"No, I'm not," he responded. "I think I'm going to stay here and work some more. That cave isn't too far away. I'll probably hear Jay from there when you discover it ain't there." He focused his attention on the computer screen again, continuing his research. He was still gathering information about magic and that wand when Jay came up and turned his computer off. As soon as Carlos noticed the screen went black, he furiously looked at Jay.

"What was _that_ for?" If Carlos hadn't saved his latest results, he would have had to look all of that up again. Besides, Jay should know better than turn off the computer while Carlos was still using it – or to touch the machine altogether.

"I think Evie would like you to be there," Jay said, "You're always in this room, behind your computer. You oughta have some fresh air. Besides, what's the point of doing research when it will be unnecessary?" Carlos realized Jay was trying to get him outside or into the garage. Once he left his safe and secure room, Jay could easily drag him to the Cursed Cave, Jay would have the upper hand. Carlos sighed.

"You're not gonna shut up until I'm coming with you, right?" Jay nodded.

"Yep."

"If it makes you shut up, I'm in," Carlos said and he stood up, "Just don't expect me to go inside that cave!"

"What? Are you scared?" Jay teased him, even if it could also be considered something else, looking at their current partnership.

"No, I am smart enough to realize it's a bad idea to even go near that place," He said, then followed Jay and Evie outside. While they were talking, all he could think of was his own plan to find the wand. In every way, it was probably much more superior than whatever method Jay and Evie would think about. Technology was reliable and allowed him to analyze certain situations quickly and find the wand while they were still analyzing. And now, with their nonsense of the Cursed Cave, they were slowing him down.

 _I'd better work without them around,_ he thought, which sparked an idea. What if he and Jay argued enough so Carlos could have a valid reason to leave them and continue the search on his own? It happened before when they were little. Carlos had run into the forest after he and Jay argued about something stupid. They still acted like little kids, arguing about the smallest things, but Carlos could only blame Evie's choice of men for that.

In the castle's garage, there were always at least ten cars present and the same number of drivers, ready to take the inhabitants of the castle wherever they wanted to go, whenever they wanted to go. As soon as they noticed the three kids, one of the drivers followed them and, once they had chosen which car was best fit to take them to the Cave, the driver stepped into it.

"Get us to the Cursed Cave," Jay commanded. The driver nodded and started the motor. They left the garage and castle behind. Jay and Evie talked and let Carlos get caught up in his own thoughts.

* * *

Carlos barely noticed the car stopped after their ten-minute drive to the Cursed Cave. He had already thought of multiple scenarios and multiple things to respond to whatever Jay would tell him. They stepped out of the car, not worrying about it driving off – the driver would wait for them until they told him they were going home. The Cave was 100 yards away from them. The entrance was hidden between the trees and bushes, clear to see for those who were looking for this entrance.

"Let's go get the wand," Jay said with a big smile on his face, knowing he would find the wand there. Evie walked along with him, while Carlos leaned against the car and waited for them to come back. Before she completely disappeared between the trees, she turned to Carlos.

"Are you sure you're not coming?" she asked him and Carlos shook his head.

"No, I'm staying here," he responded, "It's not like something is going to attack me." She showed him one more smile before she turned around and walked to Jay. Carlos couldn't help but smile, too. He still thought she had the loveliest smile and the best personality. She still was wonderful, amazing and poisonous.

Carlos shook his head. He shouldn't think about those things. Evie dumped him and once she dumped a guy, she would never consider taking him a second time – unless he really blew her away. She broke his heart and yet, he couldn't blame her – he could only blame himself for being stupid enough to start a relationship with her.

Along with thinking about what to say to Jay, he thought about reminding Jay Evie was supposed to marry Henry. He knew Jay never liked to talk about Henry and he seemed to avoid to mention the chemistry between Henry and Evie, even if they knew each other for only one day.

Before Carlos knew it, Jay and Evie returned to the car. They looked quite different from when they left. Evie hadn't changed too much – she probably let Jay walk up front and waited for the coast to be clear – but Jay hadn't. If he hadn't been in such a bad mood, Carlos would have dared to laugh. Jay was limping and Evie had to support him, or else he may not be able to walk. He was bruised, his clothing was torn apart and there were cuts all over his body. Jay's bad mood was confirmed by his reaction when he caught Carlos staring at him.

"What are you looking at?"

"You," Carlos said, trying to sound as indifferent as possible. It may not be his smartest move if this wasn't one of the answers he had been thinking about.

"You're the smart guy," Jay continued, "You should've warned me." Carlos saw this as the perfect chance to make a statement and quit their team – at least, when it came to finding that wand. They were still the only friends he could ever have.

"Excuse me?" Carlos said, overreacting, "I warned you, like, five times! You didn't know? Well, that because you never listen to what I have to say!" He paused, then continued with a softer tone, "I know how you think about me, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't ignore me." Carlos meant every word he said. Jay was indeed spending more time with Evie lately when he wasn't travelling and he felt ignored.

Jay didn't disappoint. His bad mood combined with Carlos' outburst made him furious. Evie tried to calm him down, but that was impossible at that point.

"You don't think I care?" Jay practically shouted. "I do care, Carlos, I really do. It's just that I have better things to do than to show affection! I just went into that freaking cave and risked my life to get that wand! I don't have time for your nonsense." Even if those words hurt Carlos more than Jay could know, Carlos had obtained the wished result.

"If you don't have time for my nonsense, then I'd better go." Carlos turned around and started to walk away. It would take much longer than ten minutes to return home, but he didn't care. At least he could think about the next step of his research.

"Where are you going?" Evie shouted at him. Maybe Jay would care to know, too, but in this situation, he may not care at all.

"I'm going home," he shouted back, not looking at them while he still shouted, "I don't need your help to find it. I can do it myself." He then focused on the road ahead, walking a little faster, hands in his pockets. He could hear Evie calling out for him and Jay yelling "you coward".

As he walked home, he promised himself he would find the wand. He would show them what he was capable of. This so-called lesser villain kid would show 'em he was more than capable of finding that wand. And once he did, he would keep it a few days and experience its power before handing it over to Maleficent.

In fact, there was a high chance he would never hand it over to Maleficent.


	8. The council

**Hey guys! I did find some time to write during the exams, so here is the next chapter, earlier than I had anticipated. I bet you're all wondering how Mal's doing, right? Well, you're going to find out now (after the replies of the reviews, of course). Also, have you heard the new song from Twenty One Pilots for the Suicide Squad movie, "Heathens"? I think it kind of fits the villain kids' attitude. And here are my replies:**

 _pinksakura271:_ _Thanks for reviewing! If they weren't magically concealed, they would have been discovered a long time ago. Yeah, I always had the impression Jay wasn't the brightest while watching the movie, so I tried to bring a bit of that in this story, too. Yet, smart or not, I don't think any young man can say no to Evie. Maybe Henry would be better off not showing up at all - something tells me Jay will be furious when he sees Henry return. Yeah, he should have, but Jay is still a friend (for now) so maybe, in the future... Anything can happen!_

 _jaleftwich:_ _Yeah, I like writing about Carlos' bad side. I think he will surprise everyone in the future. Thanks for reviewing!_

 _Free. Spirit140:_ _Thanks for reviewing! Well, here's the next chapter! I hope it didn't take too long._

 _Kingson24601:_ _It's always nice to see what the others are up to and this is definitely not the last you've seen from them. Them not bonding is (kind of) Evie's fault. Carlos is (a little) jealous of Jay. Thanks for reviewing!_

 _PurpleNicole531:_ _Thanks for reviewing! Of course they don't - he's still the son of the villain who wanted to make a coat out of puppies. It may be one very evil deed, but they think Jafar, the Evil Queen and Maleficent were worse. And yeah, there's definitely trouble ahead. Jay and Evie will mostly leave him alone, but they might interact in a future chapter._

 _Decembra1998:_ _Carlos is smart enough not to meddle with certain things and he indeed warned Jay. We'll see if Carlos finds it or not. Thanks for reviewing!_

 _QueenofWisdomandWater:_ _Thanks for reviewing! Yeah, me too. We'll see what happens and whether he'll do it or not._

 _TKDP:_ _Well, maybe he gets his chance, maybe he won't. They're vilains and competitors, it would be a bit weird if they were actually nice to one another. Well, her marrying all depends on what Henry is going to do and when her mother finds another prince to marry to her. We'll see if Carlos can find it or not._ _Thanks for reviewing!_

 **Enjoy!**

 **-Writer207**

* * *

In the meantime, one month had passed and Mal had been too busy to even try and contact them. She had tried, obviously, but Henry was always near. The room where she slept for the past month was next to Henry's and the walls were paper-thin; Henry would know about everything she did. During her stay, she had had almost no contact with the other alliance members. Henry never really explained why, but he didn't have too much time.

Other than hanging around in her room and the rest of the camp, she had to do a mission each day. For the most part, those were extraction missions, but sometimes they just had to go to a village and keep an eye on someone who could possibly betray the alliance or who possibly knew too much. Every time they came back, Mal would beg Philip to give her hair its purple color back. Every time, Philip would answer it was not the right time yet. That frustrated her and she hoped that one day, she could get it back. That or her spell book, so she could change it back herself.

The month flew by and before they knew it, Mal and Henry were walking towards the center of the town trough the main street of the camp. As usual, not many people were paying attention to the two. They all had something to do and didn't recognize the villain kid with her still blonde hair. Henry and Mal barely talked, having gone over what was about to happen at least three times in her room. She could still hear him repeat what he said earlier that day. _"You might not want to speak unless they ask questions. Ask nicely, and he might do it. You'll have to say 'please'. And preferably 'thank you' after he changed it back."_

When they arrived at the center, they could see it was again filled with hungry alliance members sitting at the tables, enjoying their lunch in the sun. They ignored the members – they would join them soon, after the council had decided whether Mal could stay or not. They went to the right instead, to one of the biggest wooden cabins in the entire camp, which functioned as the home of the alliance leader and conference room of the council.

Henry knocked on the door of the cabin twice before someone opened it. It was a young girl. She couldn't be older than ten. Mal's eyes widened when she saw the girl open the door – she's seen quite a few young children the past month, all of whom she had to get out of a dangerous village. It made her wonder how this girl got here and what she's been through.

"Her parents were good friends with Jane Porter." That's all Henry had to say about her. Mal didn't know who 'Jane Porter' was and reminded herself to ask someone, anyone wherever she would be this evening.

The girl closed the door behind the two once they stepped inside. There was a second door and a small hallway they had to pass. The walls were just as thin as the ones between her room and Henry's, so a small hallway like this one was most likely to prevent anyone from overhearing what the council had to say. There was another door on their left, which lead to the living quarters of the alliance leader. They ignored the door on the left and entered the room where the council would be.

Henry opened the door and they entered the room. What she saw in there, was the most diverse group of people she has ever seen in her life, and she's seen quite a few. Mal recognized Ben, Philip and Lonnie, who did not have her sword anywhere near her for the occasion. Other than that, there were three boys and four women present. One of the boys, the one wearing glasses, seemed to be shy and took one small step back. The other boys weren't that afraid. One of them glared at Mal and she could already guess he was against her. The other kid had features that differed from everyone else in this room. Sure, he had black spiky hair and brown eyes, but still… she couldn't quite put her finger on it. She smiled at him and he smiled back, nodding shortly before looking away.

Then she looked at the women in the room. the only one Mal recognized was the daughter of Triton, the red-haired Ariel. Mal thought now would not be a good time to ask about her tail or her father, so she focused on the three other women. The first was a southern woman with jet-black hair and a tan. She stood with her arms crossed and looked at Mal without showing any emotion. The second woman was blonde. She was the only one wearing a dress, a nice blue one. The last woman had a different skin color, but Mal wouldn't dare compare it to what she's used to. Her black hair was in a braid and a red dot stood on her forehead.

"Welcome to the council," Ben said, drawing Mal's attention. "We're glad you could make it."

"Me too," Mal responded. Not that you gave me a choice. Ben nodded.

"Let's start, then," Ben said, turning to Hans' son, "Henry, tell us about Mal."

Henry nodded. "Of course," During his short review of the last month, he looked solely at Ben. "Mal is a peculiar girl. In the beginning, she was withdrawn, angry, moody and secretive. I honestly couldn't believe she would ever be able to join our ranks. But as we spent more time, she changed. She found more joy in helping those who need it. She grew more passionate about it and acted with more enthusiasm than I thought possible. She was rather unbearable at moments, but her situation improved. She became more polite, less threatening and acted overall friendlier. Of course, I can assume some of you will think her lineage will be a problem in the future, as if only villains and their kids can't be trusted. May I remind you about Archie Pendragon and Melinda Dunbroch, as well as the countless members who would rather save themselves than stay loyal to our cause when it's convenient? It's our actions that define us, not who our parents are. And Mal's actions made clear to me that, despite her villainous traits, she tries her hardest to stay with us and help us fight the villains. So, Ben, Mal is a peculiar girl and a powerful asset. If I could vote, I would have her join the alliance."

During the time he spoke, Mal couldn't keep her eyes off of Henry, only because of what he said. At moments, she looked at him surprised – she didn't dare to show any emotion other than indifference, nervousness and surprise. Once Henry finished talking, he smiled at her and Ben nodded.

"Thank you for your help," Ben said, "Mal, do you have anything to add?" Mal did already have an answer ready to the question, one she couldn't say out loud. _If I stay, I will have to lead you to your demise. I will have to stab you in the back and have you killed for what you did._

"No," she eventually replied, "What Henry said, is true." Ben nodded again, this time turning to his fellow councilmen and -women.

"Before we go to the voting, does anyone wish to say something about Mal's possible membership before we vote?" They didn't have to wait long before the guy who had been glaring at her spoke up.

"I object." Ben turned his head in the guy's direction. "Can we really trust her? How do we know for sure?" Mal could hear Lonnie groan in annoyance, while the others just patiently waited for them to settle their argument. Ben turned to him.

"Chad," he started, "we have to trust Henry's rapport." But Chad didn't leave it there.

"And how exactly can we trust Henry?" he continued, "For all we know, he's just as cunning as his father." Henry's facial expression changed. It turned a bit grimmer than it was just seconds ago.

"I can assure you that my father and I only share a last name. Nothing else." He emphasized the last two words. over the month, Mal had learned his full story. Hans leading the life he wanted while his wife just wanted to go out. She escaped her captivity, but Hans caught up on her and took down the horse she was fleeing on, killing her in the process. He was left to raise a ten-year-old boy who loved his mother more than his father. Mal and her mother attended the funeral, only to keep Hans on their side. Hans could have faked being genuinely sad his wife passed away. She got why Henry didn't want anything to do with his father anymore.

This reaction seemed too have intimidated down Chad a little, because he didn't say anything in return. Then, it was time for the tanned woman to speak. "I don't like the idea either. You know I always give people the chance to prove themselves, but…" she sighed, "I can't do that. Not now. Sorry, Mal."

Mal smiled sympathetically. One more vote in favor of her leaving the alliance, but hopefully she and Henry convinced the others. "It's okay."

Those two small words managed to provoke Chad even more. He began again, being this close to shouting. "Can you even hear her talk? I've heard stories of the wild daughter of Maleficent, a girl who couldn't be tamed, a girl who does whatever the heck she wants. Thirty days within our ranks won't change any of that!" Henry sighed.

"She's changed, okay?" He tried to stay calm, so he wouldn't be provoked too much anymore, "She's a different person."

"Why should we trust your word anyway?" Chad continued, as if he hadn't heard what Henry had said, "Who says she didn't put a spell on you to make you say all that?" Henry turned his hand into a fist, but didn't do anything else for now. Mal was ready to jump in and make sure the two of them wouldn't continue fighting.

"Just shut up and let it be!" Everyone turned their heads to the kid with the spiky black hair, who had yelled these words. Philip nodded when nobody dared to say anything for a couple of seconds.

"Thank you, Hiroki," he said. Hiroki nodded and smiled at him. then, he turned to Chad. "She didn't use magic, I would've sensed it." Chad finally shut his mouth, looking away from the girl. Finally peace returned to the small council, as Chad apparently didn't intend to

"Let's vote," Ben then announced, "Who is in favor of removing her from the alliance?" Mal counted the hands in the air. Chad, the kid with glasses, the tanned woman and Ariel. Four against six. Mal sighed in relief when they lowered their hands.

"Congratulations, Mal," Ben then said with a smile on his face, "Welcome to the alliance." Out of joy, she hugged the person who stood closest to her – in this case, that was Henry. Chad sighed and barged out of the room in frustration. The others clapped and left the room, too, though they were much calmer than Chad when it came to leaving. Only Ben and Philip stayed with Henry and Mal.

"Now that you are officially an alliance member," Ben began, "you won't need a guide anymore. Henry, you are relieved of this task. Do you wish to continue your job?" Henry smiled.

"Sure, why not?"

"Then you can go now. We'll let you know when you will be needed again," Ben said and Henry left the room. Mal followed him, but Ben stopped her.

"Mal!" she turned around and her eyes widened when she saw what Philip held in his hands. It was the bag she had taken with her when she rescued Ben. Philip handed it over to her. "You forgot something. We took the food and water out of it, but the other things are still yours."

She quickly opened it. everything still was there, especially her spell book. She opened it and noticed they left it completely intact. There were no ripped pages, no crossed out spells. She wondered if they forgot to do it, or if they didn't have the time to do so. Either way, she was glad they had returned it to her unscathed.

"Thank you," Mal said with a smile on her face.

"There's one more thing I have to do," Philip said, "I believe now is the right time." He didn't need to say anything else for Mal to understand what he was talking about. Philip raised his hand and spoke again in that ancient language. When he was finished, he lowered his hand and Mal immediately ran her hands through her hair. It was purple again.

"Thank you so much," she then said and Philip nodded. Mal then turned around and walked out of the room, into the hall and out of the building. She didn't see the little girl again, but she couldn't care less about her. She had her spell book back and full access to everything and everyone in this camp. After thirty long days, she could finally complete her mission.

"Congratulations, Mal." She turned to her left and saw Henry standing there with a smile on his face. She smiled back. "I knew you'd make it. Now, let's eat something. I'm starving." Together, they walked to the small hut where they served lunch to all alliance members. Mal barely paid attention to the people sitting at the tables, but she could hear the volume increase. They had been talking without worry and then changed to semi-whispering to each other. She could already guess what they were talking about to each other and couldn't help but smile. Nice to know that, after thirty months, she still had a reputation.

She was caught off guard by a loud roar. She quickly turned her head and noticed that, at the other side of the tables, there was a bear standing on its hind legs, coming down again, looking in her direction. It gave her chills. She couldn't understand how Henry and the others didn't seem to be bothered with the bear at all.

"Relax," Henry then yelled in the direction of the bear, "the council accepted her." He then turned back around and with Mal they continued their way to the hut where they served lunch. The whispering disappeared altogether, as the alliance members talked out loud about how the council accepted her into their ranks. Mal couldn't be bothered this time because she still thought of the bear.

"Why is there a bear in the camp?" she asked Henry, "And why did you yell at it?" Henry smiled, amused by the situation.

"Don't worry, Koda's with us. He's an ally and probably wondered what you're doing here. Two portions, please," he added when they reached the hut. The woman behind the lowered wooden wall that must be the counter of this hut looked suspiciously at Mal, but Henry's presence definitely calmed her down. She gave them two plates with the usual vegetables and a piece of meat, along with knife and fork. Henry and Mal accepted it and turned around.

Mal decided to follow Henry – this was the first time she was allowed to eat among his friends and not in her room, whatever time of day it was. She ignored the looks people were giving her as well as all conversations that suddenly stopped when she passed by. Eventually they sat down on a table where only three others were sitting. Mal recognized Lonnie and the guy with the glasses from the council who voted against her, but there was one more girl. She sat across Lonnie and was wearing a blue shirt and had short, straight black hair. Mal could clearly see the scared look in her eyes.

"Hey guys," Henry greeted them, "You don't mind her sitting with us, right?"

"She's very welcome," Lonnie said with a smile on her face and Mal and Henry sat down. They made sure Henry was sitting next to the girl when they put their plates on the table and sat down. They started to eat – Mal saw the plates of the three were empty – and nobody said a word.

"Congratulations," Lonnie eventually said to break the silence. "I'm glad you made it. I knew you were different." Mal smiled back at her.

"Thanks," she replied, "I didn't think I'd make it, but I'm glad to be sitting here." Lonnie nodded, and then looked to the guy with the glasses and the girl, who had been quiet since they sat here. Mal had noticed it, too. they were either very shy or quite afraid. Or both. Time to change that.

"Guys?" she looked directly at the girl and boy. "I don't bite. Well, not anymore. Whatever you think I am, it's not true. I'm a changed person."

"C'mon guys," Lonnie then said, maybe urging them to start talking.

"Fine," the boy with the glasses then said, "I hope you don't stab our backs while you're here. It would prove I was right not to let you in, but that's completely up to you." Mal had already expected something like that to come out of his mouth, though she hadn't though he would mention her possible betrayal. Lonnie looked shocked when she heard that.

"Doug, really, you shouldn't say something like that!"

"Why not? What is she gonna do, kill me? Turn me into a beast?" Doug then said, directly looking at Mal this time. She could see a lot of emotions in his eyes. He was angry with her for some reason and he was still a bit afraid of her. Good.

"My mother would," Mal replied, "but I wouldn't. Even if I wanted it, which I don't, I can't. I'm not good with magic." This was one of those things she didn't have to lie about. She did have some skills, but she couldn't control the spells from her book like she wanted to. She only had it in her possession for a few days before the alliance confiscated it and returned it thirty days later. She didn't really have the time to look at every spell in there.

Doug, the girl, Henry and Lonnie looked surprised. "You're not good with magic?" he asked and Mal shook his head.

"No, not really. I can do a few spells, but nothing more. Mother never taught me. I'm starting to think she didn't so I wouldn't become more powerful than her. Anyway, I'd love to learn how to do it. Off course to put it to good use. Maybe Philip can teach me. Or the Fairy Godmother, if she's still alive." Mal thought this was the perfect time to start talking about the Fairy Godmother. The wand she was looking for was inevitably tied to her, so it would be a great idea to get to know that famed woman first. The first reactions of Doug, Lonnie and especially the girl told her it was safe to assume she was alive.

"She's still alive, right?" Mal insisted, hoping to get some information.

"Yes, she is," the girl spoke, looking at her empty plate, "she's just not around most of the time." She looked sad all of a sudden. That emotion popped up when Mal mentioned the Fairy Godmother.

"Do you know her well?" Mal then asked her, "You seem to know her." Nobody said a word as the situation grew more and more awkward.

"Mal, Jane's her daughter," Henry then said, having finished his meal while Mal talked, "She's had to miss her mother for most of her life."

"Oh," Mal then said, placing a hand in front of her mouth, "I'm so sorry I started about it."

"It's okay," Jane said. "She has an important job and can't just abandon her post. Stupid wand…"

"Wand?" Mal immediately said when Jane mentioned it. She had waited for one of them to mention the wand and now that they have, it wouldn't be suspicious if she continued the conversation. "I thought her wand was missing or destroyed. At least, that's what my mother always said." Mal took one bite from the meat, thinking by herself this was all going well.

"She has to protect it," Doug then said. Mal was surprised he even wanted to speak after his sudden outburst, "She's, like, the wand's guardian. There are a lot of people who are after it. Nobody can be sure it exists, but we know. We'll see it…" Then, he shut up, his face turning red. He's hiding something.

"We'll see it?" Mal said, "Are you going to visit the Fairy Godmother?" Doug looked at Lonnie, asking her non-verbally what he should do. Lonnie eventually sighed and looked at Mal.

"Ben's father thought it would be a good idea to place a protective spell on him. I know Ben wants to do it when it is most save to visit her. The council and some people Ben wants to be there can come with him. it won't be too many people or we could attract unwanted attention." She explained it and Mal nodded _. Thank you for the information,_ she thought. all she had to do was to befriend Ben. Easy, right?

"Wait, protective spells?" Mal eventually replied, "Aren't those performed with good magic?" Lonnie nodded.

"Of course Maleficent will find us afterwards, but the risk is worth taking. At least Ben will be protected." Mal nodded in response and went back to eating her meal and looking around who was walking around. She couldn't see the bear from her position, but a lot of people she had only heard stories about. Of course, not everyone was present and there probably were a lot of commoners, but she could pick her targets out of the crowd.

When she accidentally looked to her right, she saw a face she would have never expected to see. There was Philip, but Mal was surprised about the person he was hugging. She would recognize that face anywhere. Audrey, the only person who had managed to escape more than anyone who tried, was now hugging the man. they exchanged some words before Audrey turned her head.

Their eyes crossed briefly. Pieces fell together – Audrey must be Philip's daughter, which would make him the man who once fought Maleficent and won. Him having mastered magic must be the reason for not recognizing him, even if the red cape and hat were a big giveaway.

Mal ignored Audrey and she did the same. It was the wisest to just stay away from one another until her plan succeeded. At the moment, Mal decided to enjoy having fooled the council (and especially Ben) and continue to eat her lunch as she thought of possible plans to make Ben take her with him to the Fairy Godmother.

Why did she feel slightly bad for fooling the council? She should be happy to advance the plan to the next stage, right?

Right?


	9. Evil like me

**Hey everyone. I'm back with the next chapter. As the title suggests, Mal will show some struggles but luckily, a familiar face is there to help her make a decision. But first, here are my responses to your reviews:**

 _pinksakura271:_ _Thanks for reviewing! Glad you caught the Tarzan reference. Well, she didn't really meet Cinderella or Tiana - those were actually Alice and Lilo, but good guess nonetheless. Doug and Chad have their reasons for distrusting Mal. We may see more of Audrey or not. Well, Henry needed to convince the council she would be valuable to the alliance and I really liked writing it. Yeah, Mal will find a way to get close to Ben. I hope it won't disappoint._

 _jaleftwich:_ _I love Brother Bear too. I just had to give Koda an appearance. Thanks for reviewing!_

 _Kingson24601:_ _Thanks for reviewing! Mal definitely has a good heart, but it will take some time before she accept they made her realize she'd rather be a good guy. Yep - I think that'll be an interpretation of the coronation scene._

 _PurpleNicole531:_ _Yes, she will. It still follows the plot of the movie (a bit, the big lines mostly) so she will definitely feel conflicted at one point. Yay, a sequel! That's awesome! You probably are not the only one - everyone here probably is, including me! Thanks for reviewing!_

 _Decembra1998:_ _Thanks for reviewing! Now she's in, she will/won't take them down. It will definitely be a little harder because nobody likes her and will probably report all evil things she's doing._

 **Enjoy!**

 **-Writer207**

* * *

This afternoon was harder than the others, mostly because everybody stared, pointed and whispered behind her back. They wondered why Mal was chosen as a new official member and doubted Ben's judgement. They wanted to know why they voted her in, the second villain kid in a row. They wondered if they should support Chad instead of Ben, seeing as he is strongly opposed to them while Ben seemed to be far more accepting of their 'enemies'. It continued the entire afternoon and Mal decided to just stick with Lonnie. It could make them think Lonnie had to keep an eye on her. Luckily, Lonnie didn't mind and she introduced her to a lot of other members, including Koda the bear. They apparently had had more animal helpers in the past, but they were all set free and murdered in the most brutal ways, if they weren't poisoned or didn't go crazy. She also avoided being with Henry, as sticking with him may make them think she and him were conspiring together.

During dinner, they stuck together as well. She got a chance to get to know both Jane and Doug, who spoke up a bit more. Henry wasn't there; he preferred to the in the company of Audrey, Philip and a man with red curly hair with his son - Chad was there, too, but he left as soon as Henry arrived. She discovered Jane wanted to learn how to use magic but never dared to ask someone to teach her, as they make the connection between her and her mother. She was more afraid of being tortured for information about her mother's whereabouts than using it for evil. Her father was one of the first to die by Maleficent's hands. Doug, on the other hand, lost his entire family to the villains. Apparently, he could still remember how goons took away his parents. He is only called in when the council has to vote about something and is mainly active in the infirmary as one of the doctors there, being one of the few members the alliance couldn't afford to lose. There weren't many people with that specific skill set who joined. The only other "doctors" were apparently two young boys who both lost at least one family member to the evil side.

Even during dinner, the whispers continued. When she was finished, Mal decided she wanted to be alone for a while. She walked to the edge of the camp, further away from everyone, finally alone after thirty days of Henry keeping an eye on her. She released the breath she'd been holding, sighing out loud when she had reached a distance where they could still see her, but could not hear her. If she were to talk to herself, the others wouldn't hear anything of what she was saying.

For five minutes she was sitting there, looking at the trees and deep in her own thoughts, clearing her head. She was a free woman now. She could do whatever she wanted, as long as it wouldn't make her look suspicious in everyone's eyes. She had to be careful all the time, which would probably make completing this plan a lot harder.

"Hey." She turned around and saw Ben was walking closer to her. She relaxed again and replied by saying 'hey' as well.

"Do you mind if I sit here?" he asked her and she shook her head.

"No, not at all," she replied and allowed him to set next to her. Fortunately, there was about two yards between them – she definitely had to befriend him, but she shouldn't let him go any closer.

"I wanted to congratulate you again," Ben said, "and tell you not to spend too much time thinking about what they say."

"I get it," Mal then replied, "Another villain kid in the alliance. What will she do? What's her secret plan? How will she try to take us down? They're right. They should always be careful. _We_ should always be careful."

"There are some who believe it was the right thing to do," Ben then said to her. She turned her head to him.

"Only seven out of the hundreds." It probably was true. Only the council knew she was here, and only the council had a say about who could stay and who had to leave. Only those six wanted her in – them and Henry, that is, but he was not allowed to vote.

"Please don't take it personally," Ben said, looking at her. "It's just that you remind them of your mother and her associates." Mal shrugged.

"Yeah, that's not personal at all," she replied sarcastically, thinking about the few extreme reactions she's heard that day. She looked up and saw the sun was going down in the west, casting shadows in their direction. She looked down again.

"There was this one person in the council. Chad, I think." When she turned her head to Ben again, she saw his facial expression change once she mentioned that council member. "He doesn't seem happy _at all_ with my arrival. But everyone else reacted that way." After all, she had seen the way they looked at her and Henry, but especially her.

"No, the people are afraid," Ben said, "Chad isn't afraid. He's just angry and sad." Mal looked at him, confused.

"That's a new one. I mean, I don't think someone was ever angry and sad about a villain kid." Most of them were afraid and frightened. Afraid of the power, afraid of the evilness, afraid of everything the villains and their children embodied. Apparently, Chad was a different kind of person. Something must've happened that made him so fearless, that made him so angry at villain kids. She did see something that could be compared to an evil glare when he stared at her and during the time she and the council were in the same room.

"What happened to him?" Mal eventually asked. Ben sighed.

"I don't really know," he said, scratching his head.

"No?" Mal then asked.

"I've only heard stories, I wasn't there," Ben said, starting his explanation. "Chad lost both his parents and unborn sibling to Lady Tremaine. She wanted revenge and got it. If Philip hadn't insisted on taking Chad with him for a few days, he would've been dead, too. Rumor has it he saw his parents' dead bodies. He doesn't hate just you, he hates all villains and their children. Once a villain, always a villain."

"Everyone I once knew would second that," Mal said. There were so many people who would never even consider becoming a good guy and lived with that motto, including herself.

"Everyone you once knew is now your enemy," Ben said with a serious tone, "Even your mother. I know it can be hard fighting against your friends and family, but it's inevitable. It will happen eventually." _No, it won't,_ she thought. Before that happened, she would have handed the wand to her mother and would watch how everyone would be sentenced to death or replaced. Mal had no idea why her mind seemed to make that betrayal one option, the other being to stay with them and not sell them out. There shouldn't be two options – there is only one.

"Ben!" A voice from behind them shouted in their direction, "It's time!" They turned their heads and saw Chad was standing there in the distance.

Ben placed his hands to his mouth. "I'm coming!" He shouted back and stood up.

"Where are you going?" Mal asked him, standing up as well. Ben simply shrugged.

"There are more people who could be accepted today. I have to go to the council, they can't start without me." Ben wanted to turn around and leave, but there was one more thing Mal needed to know.

"Wait!" she said, drawing his attention. He turned his head to her. If she wanted to know, it was now or never. "Is it true that you want to visit the Fairy Godmother? That she'll perform a protective spell with her wand?"

Ben's expression changed. He looked at her with a serious look in his eyes. "Who told you that?" He asked – she'd get that it was supposed to be a secret, but this reaction alone confirmed they were going to do it. Ben then sighed and continued, "Yes, my father wants to let that happen. Please don't tell anyone. It's supposed to keep a secret. You never know who could be a spy."

"Your father?" Mal then wondered out loud.

"The Beast," he answered and she nodded. The Beast. She's heard stories about him, just like she's heard stories about everyone. The beast, a former prince who turned into a beast as a kid because he was rude but found love with a social outcast named Belle and then turned back into a human. People still referred to him as the Beast because that's his best known name. The last thing she heard about them was that they escaped while they could capture the boy with them.

Mal should've known he was Beast's son, but had been too busy with her plans to consider the possibility or think about his connection with the Beast.

"Do you trust me?" Mal then asked. If he was talking about it like that, he had to trust her. He would have denied his father's plans if he didn't. He looked at her.

"Yes," He said, nodding, not hesitating to answer, "For as far as I can trust you, yes, I do."

"BEN!" Chad repeated, now louder than the first time. He sounded impatient.

"See you tomorrow," Ben then said and he turned his back to her, walking towards Chad. Mal turned her head to watch him leave. Once he had reached Chad, the both of them walked further away from her, Chad probably wondering what he was doing with her there. Mal turned her head away from the camp and stared in the distance.

Now she was finally alone, she could start making plans. After these thirty-one days within their ranks, she probably knew the place well enough to figure out what she had to do to grab the wand and deliver it to her mother.

 _It feels wrong._

She surprised herself with this thought. Why did it feel wrong? It wasn't supposed to. She was evil, she was Maleficent's daughter, she should not feel like it is wrong to treat them like that. Did they show mercy when they persecuted her mother and allies? Did they ever think about not killing the villains? Did they ever regret it when a poor unfortunate soul died? No murderer of villains ever was called evil, because he did 'the right thing'.

 _They did us wrong; their offspring never did anything._

Mal sighed, feeling conflicted inside. She hated this feeling. It made her feel like she was doing it all wrong, but in her heart she knew this was the only way of doing things, the _right_ way of doing things.

 _Maybe there's another way._

Mal groaned as she looked in the distance. What was happening to her? She looked in the distance and sighed. She wanted to stick with the original plan and complete it, but apparently she was slowly changing her mind during the past month – with all those 'missions', they made her slowly change her mind. Picking a side once seemed easy, but now was harder than ever. What did she have to do?

What would her mother do?

As Mal stared in the distance, she imagined her mother was standing between the trees, looking at her. She looked behind her – everyone was still minding their own business, standing far enough to not hear her speak. She turned her head away from them and started to talk. "Something's happening, mother. I… I'm doubting. Is this wrong or right? If only you could tell me what to do…"

The figure of her mother she had imagined suddenly walked closer to her. She looked up, surprised the figure was moving closer to her, and looked behind her. Nobody in the background noticed their number one enemy walking closer – mostly because they were too far away too actually see her clearly. Though, they should know if someone walks right into camp.

Mal didn't dare to say anything _. It's just in my head_ , she thought, _Mother can't be here. They would've known._

"If there ever was anything I taught you, my daughter, then it is to never doubt about who you are," Maleficent said and Mal turned pale. She really was here. Her mother was here.

"Mother!" she exclaimed in surprise, "How did you…"

"That does not matter right now," Maleficent responded before Mal even had the time to finish that question. "I came only because you doubted. Why?"

"I…" Mal began, unsure what to say. Ultimately, she went with the truth. "I don't know _." I don't know why I am doubting._

"Don't know?" Maleficent said, taking one step forward, intimidating her daughter in the process. "I think it is very clear. You are doubting whether to give me the wand or not." Mal already knew that, though she didn't know the reason why she doubted. She decided to nod and let her mother speak again.

"There is no reason to doubt. You will deliver it to me," Her mother said, confident that her daughter would not fail. Mal had different thoughts, though.

"Yes, but…"

"No buts!" Maleficent interrupted her, "Let me talk. As a young girl, there was a moment when I felt insecure. I decided not to follow my heart and to use my head, to do what I deemed best. I have tried my whole life long to do the worst I can and I never gave up. I too have been tempted by those kind of people. They never gave me a chance so why would they give you one? Don't you want to be mean? Don't you want to be cruel? Don't you want to be evil like me?" With every word she spoke, Mal's confidence grew again, her faith in her mother was restored and her attachment to the alliance (or, as she corrected herself, the resistance) she had slowly built up with Henry was crushed. She nodded when her mother asked her these things.

"Yes, I do," she said, wholeheartedly agreeing. The resistance had to go down. They were no good for their own welfare. She was evil and always will be that evil daughter of Maleficent. She showed her mother her most evil grin to show she meant it. Maleficent evilly grinned back.

"That's my nasty little girl!" Maleficent said, "You and I together, we will rule the world. And our reign will start once you give me the Fairy Godmother's wand."

Mal nodded. "I will, mother. I won't disappoint you."

"Good," her mother replied, "I'll see you when the job is done." After saying this, Maleficent turned around and walked away. As she left she faded away, leaving Mal again confused. Was that real or not? At this point, she didn't even care – her mother had been the perfect person to get her back on track.

She pulled out her spell book and browsed, looking for any spells she could use. Maybe she could form a plan based on one of those spells. She stopped browsing when she saw a peculiar recipe in her book. It was a cookie recipe, but when someone took a bite from it, they would fall in love with the first person they saw - which could be her.

Mal considered this plan for a while, before deciding it would draw too much attention to her. She can't cook, and Ben would probably act differently than he normally would, alerting the council and everyone else, and she's a villain so they are already keeping an extra eye on her. So, how tempting it was, it would make her suspicious. And that's the least she wanted to do if she wanted to find the wand.

Other than that, there were plenty of other spells and recipes she could use to get what she wanted. The first step would be to come closer to Ben. She had no idea how she would do it yet, but there still was enough time to figure it out, unless it would happen next week. The rest of the plan would follow soon, she knew, and continued to browse through the spellbook, looking for any useful spells.

"Mal, are you coming?" She turned around and saw Philip was standing there, wearing his signature red hat and cape. "It's getting dark and we have a curfew." Mal walked to him and once she had reached him, she started to talk.

"Philip…" she began, "I'm sorry for what happened to your wife. I should have…"

"No," he said, while they both started to slowly walk back to the camp. "You were a child. You didn't know better. No need to apologize." Mal nodded. She wouldn't have done anything, even if she could have, but at least it would be worth it to stay on Philip's good side as well.

"At least you have Audrey. And Chad," Mal said and she saw his head turn to her, watching her in surprise when she mentioned that name. "Ben explained him to me," she added and Philip nodded, continuing to stare in the distance as they walked into camp, shaking his head.

"A child shouldn't see so much in his life at that age. He never really got over it. I'm afraid that if he continues like this, it may be his end." They were silent for a while. Philip offered to walk her to her room (because it still would be hers until Henry got someone new to guide).

"Is it possible for anyone to come here?" Mal then asked, out of the blue. She needed to know whether her mother was really there or not, though she was leaning more to the latter option. "I mean, does this camp have any borders?"

Philip didn't hesitate to answer. "There are barriers all around the camp, stretching as far as five miles from the camp center. It had to be dark magic because good magic would betray our whereabouts, but it is effective. Nobody has ever passed the borders on foot. Everyone who tries to pass it, will be directed around it or turn around, forgetting what they wanted to do there." That is actually a pretty effective defense system. Mal only wondered where they found those spells and who taught them how to do it. Philip seemed to have a good grasp on magic, despite being a knight in the first place and the husband of her mother's late arch-enemy. Well, at least now Mal knew it couldn't have been her mother. She had just imagined her saying all those things. But that didn't make the speech any less motivating. She would continue to make her mother proud.

"Do you want to teach me magic?" Mal then blurted out. She had no idea why she would begin about that and didn't have much time to think about it. It's what she always wanted, right? Being taught magic. Her mother wouldn't teach her, so why not someone else with the skills?

Philip turned his head towards her. "Teach you?" he asked, a hint of disbelief in his voice. Mal nodded.

"My mother never taught me. She may have feared I would become more powerful than her. I'd love to know how to control it and use it for your cause. And since you're a magician…"

"You want me to teach you how to control it," Philip completed her phrase and then thought about the request. It took about one minute before he responded. "Meet me tomorrow at two in the afternoon at the Camp Square. Take your book." They had reached Mal's cabin in the meantime and her eyes widened when she heard what he suggested.

"You want to _publicly_ teach me how to do it?" Not that she didn't like it, but the others would still stare and watch as Mal practiced. Philip nodded.

"How else do you want to convince everyone of your innocence?" he said, "See you tomorrow." He then turned around and walked away. Mal went into her room, sat down on her bed and opened her spellbook again to look for any more spells. Since she had no idea when the curfew would start, it wouldn't be a wise move to leave her room anymore. Mal continued to plan and scheme until Henry arrived in his room. At that point, she decided she could continue planning tomorrow and went to bed.


	10. The lessons

**Okay, here I am again! Who's excited to see Philip teach Mal some magic? Well, that's not all you're going to see this chapter. I think it's about time to say hello to a familiar face (we've seen him already and you've probably forgotten about him by now). Anyway, let's go to the reviews and then the next chapter:**

 _pinksakura271:_ _Thanks for reviewing! I'd pick Ben, too. It is mainly Cruella and Carlos' fault they are being hunted - I think he killed at least thirty of the Dalmatians as a kid. Doug's not the only one who's lost so many, but he sure is the prime example. We'll see when and if Mal will change. And thanks, I tried to have that moment from the movie in this story and I'm glad you liked it. We'll see if Mal is a good student and she definitely is on Philip's good side (for now) because it looks like she means well._

 _jaleftwich:_ _If they see Philip teach Mal, they may calm down about her being around. And I like that movie. Thanks for reviewing!_

 _Kingson24601:_ _Thanks for reviewing! Yeah, I know Chad isn't everyone's favorite character, but I just gave him a good reason for being like that. Well, Philip has to be confident in Mal, he has to believe in her. He would blame himself if Mal would take Audrey away from him because he refused to teach her._

 _PurpleNicole531:_ _Well, I wanted it to look a little like that scene, so mission accomplished! They may feel a little comfortable seeing Philip keep her "under control", which is another reason why he is going to do it. Yeah, for now Ben trusts her. Let's see if he truly can. Thanks for reviewing!_

 _Decembra1998:_ _Thanks for reviewing! It was all in her head, but the same happened in the movie when she imagined the statue came to life, so I guess it still counts. I hope certain parts didn't feel too expositional._

 **Enjoy!**

 **-Writer207**

* * *

The next morning, Mal only came out of her room to have breakfast, lunch and to go to Philip to learn how to cast spells the best way. Other than that, she stayed in her room to continue her scheming. Once it was time for her to go to the center of the camp, she knew what she wanted to get to the wand and what she needed to do once she had the wand in her sight. Now she just needed do what she had to do and learn what Philip could teach her. The more she knew about casting spells, the better her chance of success may be in the future.

Philip was already waiting for her. Eyes followed her when she walked to him with her spellbook in her hands, but she ignored them. They should really get used to her walking around in the camp. Philip watched her come closer when he noticed she was coming. He only talked when Mal could hear him.

"Are you ready?" He asked her and she nodded.

"I sure am," she responded and opened her book. Philip shook his head.

"We're not going to start with your spells," he said, "Before we will use the book, I'm going to teach some more of basic magic."

"Basic magic?" Mal asked. She hadn't really thought something like 'basic magic' existed. The only magic she knew was someone with talent for magic saying rhymes and wishing something would happen – and then it would usually happen. Philip nodded.

"Yeah," he said, "There are different levels of magic. Learning how to cast spells correctly is hard. I am only as good as I am because I kept training. I personally thought I got considerably better once I learned about the different kinds of magic." Mal nodded. She didn't want to sit through some theory about magic, but if it helped her become better, she had to listen.

"Go on then," she said, "What are the differences?" Philip smiled at her and then explained most differences.

"There's obviously the difference between good and dark magic," he started, "Good magic has been stronger than the dark variant since the beginning of time, but in these dark times it is much safer to use dark magic. Just one simple 'good' spell will attract all evil magicians, so we'll focus on the dark magic. Maybe one day, I can teach you some good magic. The differences between good and magic lay mainly with wand use and the effect of the spells on people. A spell for protection would be good magic and one to torture people would be dark magic." Mal nodded, to show she was still following what he was saying and because the difference between good and dark was as clear as the difference between night and day. Philip continued.

"There are three big levels in both: simple, intermediate and hard. These levels are made possible by effect of the spell. A simple spell would be opening a door, for example, while a hard spell would be transportation from one point to the other. Of course you can shout rhymes and make it work for all, but some spells do better when it doesn't rhyme. The simple spell use just a normal command. Like this," Philip turned to the door of the council building and pointed at it with the palm of his hand. "Open!"

No second after he had spoken that word, the door flew open. Some people looked surprised when they saw it, but Philip immediately shouted. "That was me, excuse me. Close!" The last word closed the door again. Some people focused their attention on Mal and Philip now, wondering what she was up to. She couldn't care less what they thought, mostly because she was too caught up seeing Philip, a former knight with not too much talent for magic, do this with just one word.

"Wow," she said. She would have done it, too, but it would have required a rhyme.

"It's simple as that," Philip said, "At least, it is for either trained magicians or people with talent. And I can say you undoubtedly inherited the talent from your mother." Mal nodded. With a mother like hers, it would be weird if she couldn't cast any spells at all.

"So, the easy spells are simple commands."

"Right. The hard spells have the same principle, but they have to be spoken in an ancient language for it to be effective. The transportation spells are examples of hard spells. If I were to cast them in English, people would end up miles away from the intended destination, so it is important. We are not going to cover them today.

Then, there are the intermediate spells, which don't have to be in that ancient language, but work best when it is said in rhymes." Mal nodded, trying to remember everything Philip has said. she could use everything one day, if only to remember what the most efficient way was to cast a certain spell.

"So, what are we going to do today?" Mal asked him.

"You are going to try to open the door today. When you have done that, you're free for the rest of the day." Mal nodded. That was actually quite simple. Open the door, then continue the next day. Piece of cake.

Half an hour later, Mal still struggled to get that door open from her position. She had put all the power she possessed in that, all emotions in that one word, but it wouldn't budge, not even when Philip allowed her to stand ten yards away from it. In the meantime, Philip smiled while she attempted to open the door. The other members of the alliance stopped by and watched for a while, but soon left when they had seen enough or couldn't stay any longer.

"Okay, that's enough," Philip said eventually. "What do you think went wrong?"

"I don't know." Mal said, irritated because she couldn't do something as easy as open a door.

"You have to have peace with yourself to do it well," Philip explained, "I'm sure you've cast some spells before, and you've always felt good about it, right? Well, having peace with yourself means that you want to do the spell and that you feel good with the result. Many things can influence them. You may have to accept you're one of us now and that you're unable to go home. As for me, I couldn't accept that I was working with dark magic for a very long time." Philip sighed, "That was it for today. See you tomorrow. Same time, same place." With those words, he left Mal at the center.

When she looked around, people were still staring, but not as much as yesterday. She could only guess some members already got used to the increase of villain kids in the camp, or that they decided to leave her alone. Even if they were still staring, Mal didn't really mind. It could be a sign they were still afraid of her. They still didn't want to mess with her. She hadn't lost her reputation yet.

Then, Philip's words were sinking in. _So I can't open the door because I don't have peace with myself._ She'd agree to disagree: She was happy with herself and her choices. This would help her get the wand and would make her mother proud. To do that, Philip could help her. or maybe the problem lay with her attitude. The entire time, she had wondered why she had to open the door instead of skipping directly to the 'intermediate' spells.

"Hey, Mal," she turned around and saw Ben was coming to her. _Play nice,_ she reminded herself before smiling in his direction.

"Hey," she said as soon as he was close enough to hear her, "So, shouldn't you be doing your job?"

"Not today," Ben replied, "I'm not old enough yet to do this on my own, so I share leadership with Philip. It's his turn to do the official things."

"That's smart," Mal said, "He's… quite capable to help you out." She hoped that was good enough for him. She never learned how to make compliments and she never would. Compliments were for peasants who begged for mercy. In this case, it was to complete her plan.

Ben nodded. "I trust him more than anyone else here," he admitted and then looked at Mal, "So, how are you?"

Mal was taken aback with that question. Ben cared about her. Nobody's ever asked her that question and nobody's ever cared enough to ask her. Not her friends, not her mother, definitely not all the slaves and peasants. The only thing that came close to it was Henry sometimes asking her if something was wrong when she was trying to conceal her evil side from him.

"I'm fine," she said, "Philip's helping me with my magic and I'm starting to feel at home here. And what about you?" Asking him how he felt may improve their platonic relationship and may lead to him trusting her a little more.

"I feel great," he said. Mal was going to ask if he was feeling a little nervous to meet the Fairy Godmother and have a protective spell placed on him, but there was no time. Philip walked out of the council building with a serious expression on his face, going in their direction.

"What is it, Philip?" Ben asked. Mal could have cursed. So close!

"Someone surpassed the magical defenses," he said. Ben's eyes widened and so did Mal's. "I already called the best warriors to stop the threat. They're coming now."

"I see you have a job to do," Mal said, silently wishing the intruder good luck facing off against the camp's warriors, "I'd better go."

"No," Philip said, stopping her from walking away, "You're coming with us."

"Why?" Mal asked, but Philip didn't answer her. She then looked at Ben, who nodded at her, as if he was telling her to stay. The warriors Philip had called arrived, giving Mal no chance to ask them why she had to come with them in private. Audrey was one of them. They looked at each other once and when Ben and Philip weren't looking, nodded at one another before ignoring each other completely. That's the way it always went, that's the way it would be.

Later came Lonnie and Henry. Lonnie had put on some leather armor. Since the alliance was a little poor and on the run, they couldn't afford that much armory so many, like Lonnie, had to do it with self-made leather armor. Finally, Chad arrived. Once they could see his face, he clearly was annoyed with two of the people.

"Do they _have_ to come with us?" he asked.

"Yes," Ben and Philip said simultaneously. Chad grumbled in response, but didn't really say anything. When everyone was ready to go there, Philip lifted his hands and spoke the spell that would allow them to be near the intruder in mere seconds. Wind started to blow in their faces and everyone was pressed closer and closer to everyone while the surroundings faded away.

* * *

Mal had gotten used to this method of transportation, but she still couldn't stand the way she felt after jumping from one place to the other. All the others didn't seem to like it either, since it deprived them from oxygen for no longer than a few seconds, but they quickly recovered and went to the person who walked past their borders.

It didn't take long before Ben, Mal, Henry, Lonnie, Chad, Philip and Audrey spotted the person. Chad drew his sword as soon as he saw him, but Ben ordered him to put it away again until they were closer. They saw how the person stopped moving and how he put his hands in the air. The group walked closer to him and once they could clearly see him, Mal noticed he was just a boy. One she's met the day she saved Ben's life, the one who made her save Ben.

"Hadrian," Mal said and the boy nodded with a serious look on his face. Chad already grabbed the sword's hilt, ready to use it, and the others recognized the name as well. There was only one person who didn't know that name.

"Who?" Henry asked, looking at him. Apparently, Hadrian had never been to the Southern Isles, or else Henry may have known him.

"One of Hades' sons," Mal replied and Hadrian nodded.

"Yeah, that's me," he said, "I come in peace."

"Really?" Chad said, looking at the demigod, "Or do just want us dead?" Some groaned and Mal could only guess they were starting to get fed up with Chad's attitude towards some people. Even though his mistrust was permissible in this case, he always acted like that around the people he couldn't stand. Especially those with a doubtful or evil heritage. It seemed he only truly trusted his 'sister', Audrey.

"Chad…" Ben then said, but Chad didn't let him finish.

"Let's get rid of him," Chad said, "Wherever he goes, death follows."

Hadrian shook his head. "No, I go to places where people are going to die. There is a difference."

Before Chad could say anything else, Philip cleared his throat. "So, Hadrian," he said, "What brings you here? And how did you surpass our defenses?" Hadrian shrugged, slowly bringing his hands back down. As soon as he knew for sure nobody was going to attack him, he responded.

"I'm a demigod. What can stop mortals, can't always stop us." Mal looked around the group. Nobody seemed to be comfortable with his explanation, as he was implying all demigods could surpass their magical defenses.

"He's dangerous," Chad then said, as a response to Hadrian's explanation. "He can call his allies and break in whenever he wants."

"I'm mostly innocent," Hadrian replied, looking around at the group who surrounded him. He gave everyone sympathetic looks, but downright glared at Chad and, for some reason, at Audrey.

" _Mostly_ innocent?" Chad said before anyone could prevent him from saying anything, "Then what are you guilty of?" Hadrian's facial expression didn't change, but Mal could see Hadrian was fed up with Chad's attitude and that he didn't want this conversation.

"Do you want to know something?" Hadrian began, "I'm guilty of knowing when people die and right now, I know two people in this place are going to be dead before this month ends." He paused to be able to look at everyone's faces after he said it. When he began to speak again, he looked directly at Chad. "I don't know which one of you will die, but I am getting a lot of negative vibes from your direction."

Chad was about to draw his sword, infuriated by the last part, but Henry, who was standing right behind Chad, stopped him from using any violence. Lonnie helped Henry stop Chad from punching the demigod. Hadrian simply folded his arms while he watched how the two struggled to keep their hothead calm.

Eventually, Chad let go of the hilt and instead pointed an accusing finger at Hadrian. "If you were talking about me, I swear I'll—"

"You'll, what?" Hadrian interrupted him. Mal thought he was purposely provoking reactions from the young 'prince'. She didn't know him long enough to know if that was the way he usually interacted with 'enemies' or not. "You're gonna kill me? If that's what you want, then do it. I don't fear death. After all, I'll be going home. But if you dare send me to my father, he won't hesitate to send you to yours."

That was the last straw. Philip immediately walked to Chad who had drawn his sword before anyone could stop him. He had placed the sword's point on Hadrian's neck. Hadrian didn't flinch once, even after seeing the rage in Chad's eyes. Mal's eyes crossed Ben's and she suspected they were thinking about the same thing. _Maybe Chad will kill him._

Philip placed a hand on Chad's shoulders. "Chad, can we talk?"

"No." Chad said, not even looking away from the Demigod of Death.

"Chad." Philip repeated his name calmly, not saying anything else. Eventually, Chad sighed and put away the sword. Philip guided him away from the group so they could talk in private. When Chad and Philip were far enough away from one another, Ben looked at Hadrian.

"Sorry about him," he said, "He doesn't really like death. So, what brings you here?"

"Well," Hadrian said, looking a little more relaxed now Chad was removed from this group, "I wanted to see the people who cared about me. Then I realized that the only ones who ever cared about me were you and your friends." Mal didn't know what to think. Apparently, Hadrian had been in the alliance once before. She thought it was sad that the only people who ever cared were alliance members. On the other hand, his lonely life may have fueled his evilness, which is always a good thing. The less people cared about him, the less he cared about them, and carelessness is a good villain trait.

So far, it also looked like the only people who cared about Mal were some higher ranking members.

"So you want to stay with us?" Audrey then asked.

"Sure," Hadrian nodded, "I only plan to stay this month as a guest. If your friends have trouble with another one like me, you could tell them my siblings and cousins were hunting me down because I didn't obey father. Tell them I will be gone by the end of the month." Mal looked at him. _Wow, he really wants to stay with the resistance,_ she thought.

"Refugees are always welcome," Ben said, "You can come with us."

"Thanks," Hadrian said, final showing a smile. Then, nobody said anything else and were watched Chad and Philip in the distance. They were still talking to each other, the alliance members waiting for them to finish their conversation. From this distance, they could barely hear what they were discussing. Eventually, they came closer again. Philip, who now was carrying Chad's sword, stopped to take them back home, while Chad just walked past them.

"Where are you going?" Audrey asked him, but he didn't stop. He continued to walk while Philip explained the situation.

"He's taking a break," Philip said, "Lately, with everything that's going on, he's become stressed. It's too much for him. He's coming back after fourteen days." Then, without wasting any more words, he cast the spell that brought them all back to the center of the camp, not questioning why Hadrian was still with them.

* * *

Once they arrived back at the camp, Ben looked at the girls. "Lonnie, Audrey, will you two take Hadrian to his room?" The two girls nodded and walked with Hadrian to his room, while he couldn't stop looking around and often watching several members. Philip walked away while Ben told the girls to bring Hadrian away, since he had some paperwork and official camp things to do. That left Ben with Mal and Henry.

 _It's now or never,_ Mal thought. "Why did _I_ have to come?" she asked Ben, "It was just Hadrian. You could've handled it without me perfectly." She did want to say things when Chad was threatening Hadrian, but she couldn't – the boys were always much faster. Ben looked at Henry and vice versa, which Mal noticed.

"You know why," she then said, "You both know why. Why aren't you telling me?"

"You came for the same reason I came," Henry eventually said, "It's easier to make the enemies agree with our terms when Chad threatens to kill us."

"What?" Mal then said, trying to understand what Henry just implied, even if the image was pretty clear.

"We never know if someone who could break through the defenses is willing to listen to us," Ben began to explain it a bit better, "You and Henry come with us and, if they want to kill us, you two can pretend you're still with them and hostages. Someone in the company threatens to kill you – normally, that's Chad – and we want to make them listen that way."

"Hey, they're never truly gonna kill us," Henry added, "Besides, this is probably the first time someone walked further than the defenses."

Mal was left speechless. Without further ado, Mal walked away from them, not willing to hear anything else. She couldn't agree with them on the part where she had to put her life in Chad's hands, but other than that she was happy to see even a little bit of evil in this camp filled with good people. She continued to think about Chad and how fourteen days may just be enough for someone to figure out who he is and where his loyalties lay.

Eventually, she wished Chad would run into one of her friends or other villain kids. Knowing what he was, Chad would probably be redirected to Lady Tremaine, who would want his head, too. Then again, he is a good warrior – implied when Philip called the best warriors from the camp to come and find the intruder. His temper and all that rage could have made him an excellent villain if Philip hadn't taken him with him.

Then, Mal wished that if someone found him, they would bring him to Evie. There, she could unlock his inner evilness and make him a valuable ally, one who would hurt Philip so much. Even if she didn't want Philip to see another family member succumb to the evil side, he would be a great asset.

The rest of the day was spent in silence and sitting in her room, trying to open the door from her bed. By the end of the day, the door slowly opened itself after more than a thousand attempts.


	11. The trap

**Hey guys! I'm back with the next chapter from Warriors. Since we've spent a lot of time at the alliance camp, let's go beyond the borders. I bet you're all wondering what Carlos, Evie and Jay are up to, right? Yeah, first we still have a bit more of Chad and these reviews before we go to Evie, Jay and Carlos:**

 _pinksakura271:_ _Thanks for reviewing! It's not like anyone cared about her like he does, so she's happy someone's concerned. Chad's just angry because of what Hadrian can do, which did cost him his sword. (he's taking a break from the alliance). He only completely trusts Audrey because they grew up together and knows her better than anyone else and so he knows she would never betray them. I know right? I wanted that magic to be more than 'bibbity bobbity boo' and rhymes._

 _Kingson24601:_ _Well, she has her mother's talent. I don't think I'll ever mention it in this story, so I'll just tell you: Merlin saw some potential in Philip and he trained Philip until Madam Mim killed him. Hadrian's known for doing that, which is why Chad was so angry (that and the threat about 'sending him to is father'). Hadrian's a demigod, partly human, so he can still die. Thanks for reviewing!_

 _jaleftwich:_ _Thanks for reviewing! Yeah, he just pops up again after a long absence. Just remember he can't accurately say who will be dying, so Chad may survive this story. Next up in her training are, well, more basic spells before moving on to intermediate spells._

 _PurpleNicole531:_ _Yeah, he's starting to annoy me, too. I can imagine him siding with the new VKs in the sequel. With everything that's going on, it may take a while before she has peace with herself. Thanks for reviewing!_

 **Enjoy!**

 **-Writer207**

* * *

"Chad, can we talk?"

"No."

"Chad." Philip repeated his name calmly, not saying anything else. Eventually, Chad sighed and put the sword back where it belonged. Then he and Philip walked away from the group so they could talk in private. While Ben continued to talk with Hadrian, Philip was ready to talk to his son.

"Why did you do that?" Philip asked, looking only at his adopted son, "That was unnecessary." Chad shook his head, still feeling angry.

"It wasn't," he said. A short period of silence followed and Philip hoped this short time would hopefully make Chad calmer.

"Just think about it," Philip said, "A young boy comes to us. Did it ever cross your mind he came to seek help?"

"No, it didn't because he goes where people die," Chad reasoned. Philip already could feel how the next part of the conversation would go, but continued to talk nonetheless. Maybe he could reason with his son eventually. He just hoped Chad would be reasonable – though, knowing him, he wouldn't.

"He may have had another reason," Philip said, "He's been here before, remember?"

Chad scoffed. "How could I forget? When he left, _ten_ of us died!" Philip could remember the first time they saw each other. The boy was on the run from a daughter of Hecate he had angered – or so he said. Before he left, ten people passed away. He also remembered that there had been a severe case of food poisoning the other day, causing ten people to die.

"It wasn't murder," Philip said. Many – including Chad – blamed Hadrian, which prompted him to leave. "They were all sick." As expected, Chad shook his head in disbelief, ready to sneer again.

"And now he's back," he said, "How many do you think will die now?"

"Those are matters for the future," Philip said, trying to stay calm when his adopted son wouldn't, "Right now, we have a lost boy to help."

"He threatened to kill me!" Chad then started to shout, not in the mood to be reasonable anymore, "He threatened to kill two of us by the end of the month."

"He just said—" Philip began, but Chad wouldn't let him finish.

"He disgraced my father!" Chad had always been defensive whenever his parents were mentioned. In association with sending him to his father – or, in other words, to kill him –, he freaked out. "I wasn't going to let that little—"

"Chad Charming." Philip didn't shout, yet Chad became instantly silent and kept it that way, staring at Philip. He never really used that name, only when it was serious. He knew Chad would listen when he mentioned his last name. When he was certain he wouldn't be interrupted, he continued.

"Please listen to me. He's just a kid with a terrible gift. Everyone must hate and fear him. If you were him, what would you do?" Chad, surprisingly, stayed silent. He didn't know how to answer, didn't think about what he would do if he were in Hadrian's position. After a while, Philip made a hard decision.

"Maybe it's time you took some time for yourself." Chad looked at him, blinked in surprise.

"What do you mean?" he then asked, hoping it wasn't what he thought it was.

"You have to go," Philip said. Chad sighed – so it was what he'd feared, "This place and everything it stands for is making you blind and furious. Staying away for some time may be good for you. Take a break."

"You can't do this to me!" Chad said, protesting against this measure. Whenever the older members couldn't take the pressure of being with the alliance anymore, they could leave and come back whenever they pleased, if they let someone know first. The leaders also have the power to put a member on hold, temporarily.

Philip had hoped he wouldn't have to rely on that rule, but now he had no other choice. "Chad, as an alliance leader, I now order that you leave now and don't come back until fourteen days have passed. You'll be fine, I promise." He smiled sadly at Chad, then extended his hand.

"Just give me the sword." Chad's hand automatically went to the hilt, grabbing it and holding it tightly. He had accepted the request to leave – didn't mean he liked it – but he would have liked to keep the sword.

"I won't—"

"Do you want them to catch you? To kill you?" Philip interrupted Chad. He continued to talk slowly. "Chad, please, give me the sword. You'll get it back when you've returned." Chad glared at him and eventually sighed dramatically.

"Fine!" He took the sword and its scabbard and pushed it in Philip's hand before starting to walk away. "If you want me to go, then I'll go!" These were the last words he'd said before focusing on the journey ahead. Philip sighed as he walked behind him, to the group of teenagers while he tied the scabbard to his waist.

"Be careful," Philip said, but he was certain Chad hadn't heard it. He shook his head – he could be really stubborn and annoying sometimes, but since they've started to accept villain kids in their ranks, it's become worse than ever. _It will do him well,_ he thought to himself, _he will be okay. He'll come back with a clean slate. Everyone who took a break, even those who were forced, came back relaxed. So Chad will, too._

Yet he feared that he would come back being more annoyed than ever before, or not come back at all.

* * *

Thirteen days later, it was time for Chad to leave the town where he had spent his time. He hadn't thought about his job too much, since he had been too busy helping the villagers with their problems. He had helped catch an escaped horse, had painted the fence for an older man who couldn't do that anymore, had repaired an old cart. They wanted to pay him, but he always refused the money – the villagers needed it more than he did.

He would never admit it, but Philip had been right: this break had done him well. He almost hadn't thought about his duties. He had had some time for himself, which he had spent helping the villagers. He didn't have to make sure everyone was doing something useful at the alliance, didn't have to teach the newbies how to wield their new weapons. He had felt calmer, better than ever before. He felt like a fool for the way he acted around everyone. He hadn't changed his opinion, but he could have approached the issue differently. It was time to go back, apologize for his behavior and pick up his life again.

Early in the morning, Chad had gathered everything he had bought over the past thirteen days. The only thing he owned before he had to leave were the clothes he wore that first day. He put everything in a small backpack and then quietly left the town. They would definitely hold him back, asking questions and keeping him from reaching the alliance as soon as possible.

He'd never find people as friendly as they were and even hoped to return one day to say hi, but for now the alliance needed him to go back and help everyone again. Without looking back and with a smile, he began walking away from the town, back to the alliance. He knew it would take him a long time before he would be home – at least half a day of walking – but if he walked at a certain pace without resting, he may be there earlier.

Yet, the human body can only take a certain amount of effort and at one point, Chad had to take a break and sit down, giving his aching feet and legs some rest. He muttered to himself that he shouldn't strain himself so much.

Only then, he heard the screams.

"Help me! Somebody, please, _help me_!" He turned his head in the direction of the screams. The girl – it was a girl, he was sure of it – was far away from them, the wind carrying her voice to him. he immediately jumped up, ignoring the aches. The need to rescue this girl was bigger than going back to the alliance. If he didn't help her now, nobody might. He did have to stray from the path and venture into the woods, but after everything he's been through, he knew the best way to navigate through all the plants.

Without hesitation, he walked from the path and ran in the direction of the screams. Even with the forest indirectly holding him back, he still reached her rather quickly. The girl stood with her back against a tree, with a dark bag pulled over her head and arms tied together around the tree with a thin rope. The bag didn't cover everything, though, as her mouth and parts of her wavy black hair were still visible. When he came closer, he noticed the piece of cloth around her neck, which formerly could have covered her mouth. As soon as he stood in front of her, she stopped screaming, remaining silent because she knew someone was near.

"Don't worry," he said trying to calm her down, even if she seemed rather calm already, "I'm here to rescue you." The first thing he did was remove the bag from her head. The girl had to be around his age and was pretty. He now noticed her beautiful brown eyes and a lovely smile. But when he noticed her hair, he didn't want to think of her as attractive anymore and backed away from her.

There were dark blue streaks in her hair, which he couldn't have seen from a great distance. He realized he was looking at the Princess, the daughter of the Evil Queen. He didn't curse out loud, but thought of all colorful words he'd like to yell right now. _It's a trap_ , he thought, looking around for anyone else who could have come with her, always trying to keep her in his sight just in case she would try something.

They didn't disappoint. As soon as Chad turned his head, he saw one of her friends charging at him. It was the son of Jafar, the Traveler, and he seemed more than happy to be able to fight Chad. For a villain kid, Jay was a lousy fighter, which was to Chad's advantage. Jay soon stopped in front of them and immediately tried to punch him. Chad evaded the fist and with a few quick step soon stood behind Jay, hitting hard in the back of his neck. Jay fell on his stomach and it didn't look like he would get up soon.

Chad turned back around to do the same to the girl and then get out of here – they sure wouldn't have come all alone – and had already turned around to do what he had to do. Like he had guessed, she had freed herself, not being the damsel she had pretended to be. He was more than willing to knock her out, but he hesitated.

Evie stared at him, looking like she could cry. He thought that, if she wasn't the person she was now, she could be an excellent actress. "You wouldn't hit a girl, would you?" she had asked him right after he turned in her direction.

He scolded himself for hesitating. Yes, she was a girl, but she was a villain kid with a long list of crimes on her name. And a villain is a villain, no matter what gender they have, and they all deserve what is coming. He lifted his arm, but then felt a shark pain in his neck. He reached out and found a small dart stuck in the back of his neck. He could see the malicious smile on Evie's face before he fell on his knees and hands.

His vision blurred and he fought to stay awake. He could hear Evie and Jay talk.

"It really works," Jay said, sounding a little surprised.

"Of course it does," Evie said, "I made it. We just have to wait a while."

Chad realized there was no way he'd stay awake in this situation. He closed his eyes and let himself drift away into darkness and unconsciousness.

* * *

He woke up in a completely different location, like he anticipated. He knew he was somewhere else without having to open his eyes. He was sitting in a chair, hands tied to the back with handcuffs, softly cutting his wrist's skin. The chair stood in a dim lit, stuffy room. Someone was pacing around in front of him.

Chad finally opened his eyes, ready to face whoever was in this room with him. He adjusted to the light easily, since there was only one lightbulb and it still was rather dark. There was a table in front of him. He saw Jay and Evie were with him in the room. Evie sat on another chair in a corner, looking into the mirror while it had been Jay who'd been pacing and who was now looking at him.

"He's awake," Jay said and Evie turned her attention to their prisoner while putting her mirror away. Jay looked at her while she approached him, telling her 'not to hold back'. Chad already guessed she would try to seduce him and make him do horrible things. He had prepared for a moment like this, asking how Evie had seduced Doug and others in the alliance. Besides, she would have to try her best to make Chad do as she wanted.

"So, handsome," Evie said, putting her hands on the table and leaning closer to him, "Who are you?" She really would have to try harder than this, he thought.

"Nobody interesting," he told her, trying not to look too much at her – he didn't want that pretty face of hers to make him betray his family and the alliance.

"Nobody interesting, huh?" Jay then said, "We think you are."

"You've got the wrong guy," Chad said in return, "You have to let me go. My family is waiting for me."

"We're sure we have the right guy," Jay said again, Evie giving him the space to continue the conversation, "unless your name isn't Chad Charming." Chad couldn't really control the way he reacted when he heard his last name. Besides, he wondered how they knew his last name. He concluded someone in the alliance must have told them.

Mal. He knew she couldn't be trusted and he thought she somehow had contact with her friends. He didn't know they hadn't talked to Mal since the day she saved Ben. In the meantime, Jay grinned victoriously.

"Welcome to the interrogation room, Chad," he said, "Now, what are you up to? You're all alone and I can imagine the others aren't anywhere near this place." They wanted information, Chad realized. He knew exactly what he had to do and say in this situation, even if he didn't like it.

"Listen, because I am only going to say this once: just kill me already. You'll be doing everyone a favor. You're wasting your time, because I won't say anything. I am useless." He was certain they were going to kill him when they were done with him, so it didn't matter when he would be losing his life. Unfortunately, they didn't do as he wished.

"Useless?" Jay said and once he realized Chad wasn't going to say anything in response, he continued, "So you're not going to say anything? I get it: the brave yet foolish soldier thinks he won't betray his friends. You'll be disappointed in yourself, because you will give us your secrets." Jay really seemed convinced he would betray his family. For as far as he could, Chad shrugged in response.

"Go ahead, then," he said, "Waste your time." He glared at Jay, who started to laugh. After half a minute, he stopped. Evie had come to stand next to him.

"I don't think you understand. I won't interrogate you," Jay looked at his girlfriend, "but she will." Chad stopped glaring and instead shifted his focus to the pretty girl, who was coming a little too close for his (and probably Jay's) taste. Jay backed away to the corner where she sat when Chad woke up.

"Let's get to know each other," she said, "Do you have any friends?" As promised, Chad didn't answer that question and just tried to look at her as neutrally as possible. _This is just an interrogation,_ he convinced himsel. _She isn't trying anything else._ Which was weird, as she had the reputation to seduce men and boys she could use to her advantage.

"Someone as handsome as you definitely has friends. Perhaps even a girlfriend," Evie continued, but didn't get any response. She then asked him: "No friends at all? There must be someone who likes or respects you." Chad shook his head.

"Everybody hates me," he told her.

"Everyone? Really? So, even your family?" Evie asked him. Chad kept his lips pressed together, not in the mood to answer. Evie started to be fed up with his attitude, which he liked. The sooner they realized he was useless, the sooner they can kill him. "Chad, does your family hate you?" She tried again.

"Does yours?" Chad then asked her – he'd die anyway and it was not like he'd give her the information she needed, "I can imagine you're extremely insecure and need boys to constantly acknowledge how pretty you are. Fairest of them all? I bet your mother still claims that title, miss."

"My family likes what I am doing," Evie replied coldly. Chad nodded.

"Good for you. So does mine." He only realized the damage until after he said it. He had revealed something about himself to her, which was apparently the entire point of this interrogation. Worst of all, the Princess noticed it, too.

"They accept your decisions. They don't hate you," she said and he promised himself not to say anything else which could give her what she needed. "You know, I'd love to meet them. They're probably just like you."

"They're certainly _not_ like your mother," he said, giving her a piece of information she already should know. Evie mercilessly continued to talk, ignoring his comment.

"Must be hard, being a prince and being chased down. I can't imagine what kind of life that is. That's not a royal life, is it?"

"I'm happy without the luxury," Chad said, hoping she wouldn't continue with this topic. Unfortunately, she did.

"Don't you miss that life?" Evie said, "Wait, you never had a life like that to remember. I can already imagine how things went at home. Dad goes out the door early in the morning, leaving you all alone in the house with your mom. And then you and your mom have to keep the home tidy and clean and this time, there are no mice or other animals to help you. She's worried about you and tries to provide for you, even if there isn't enough for three or even two people. You won't know when your dad comes, or even _if_ he comes home. When he does, you wonder how much he's done for this meal and how he got that new wound on his arm and you just know he may not survive this week, or five days, or even one—"

"Don't talk about them like that!" Chad shouted, prompting Evie to stop, surprised by his sudden outburst. He panted angrily, glaring at the beautiful young woman. Jay looked up, curious about what Chad had to say. "If you _ever_ dare speak about them like that again, I swear I'll kill you!" He couldn't understand why the two teenagers who captured him started to smile evilly.

"Good boy," she said and then turned to Jay, "Jay, you'd better leave now."

Jay nodded and was about to leave the room until he saw she took some lipstick out of her purse. "Don't go too far, okay?" He told her, worried about what she was going to do to Chad, "Promise me you won't go too far."

"I promise," she said, "Now leave, I have a job to do." Reluctantly, Jay left the room, knowing well that he would not like to see what Evie was going to do. As soon as she was gone, Evie applied the lipstick on her lips with the help of her magic mirror. Once she was finished with the lipstick and she had put it away, she turned back to Chad, who had a bad feeling about this.

"So," she said, finally showing her seductive side, "Where were we?" She pushed the table away, so there would be nothing standing between her and her new victim. Chad tried to answer to the question, trying to keep her away from him. She didn't listen and eventually came extremely close. He could feel her breath on his lips.

"Are you ready?" she asked him and Chad shook his head and then tried to keep her from doing anything else. Unfortunately, he was in no position to stop her from doing what she did best.

Without any hesitation, she pressed her lips against his.

After a few moments of utter confusion, he finally kissed her back.

* * *

In another part from Auradon, up high in his workshop, Carlos was busy putting together a bomb. He'd been working on it for a week and was almost finished. The bomb was an essential part of the final plan – there had been many before, but he never actually completed them because a better plan came to mind. He believed the bomb would work. It would have to be large enough to make the blast radius bigger and heavy enough to make it impossible to move. After all, all magical objects would be intact after a non-magical explosion.

 _Take that, Evie and Jay!_ he thought to himself when he was ready to install the last component of the bomb. He'd done it all without their help. He believed they still hadn't found the wand. He knew Jay would rub it in, if they would still find it before he would – which was very unlikely.

The computer on the other side of the workshop beeped, taking Carlos out of his concentration. He slipped and damaged the bomb. He cursed loudly and then checked the damage. It was much more than he had anticipated and knew it would take him to days to repair the damaged parts.

He walked to the computer, which had stopped beeping. He looked at the screen, annoyed and furious it would take him two more days to finish the bomb, hoping he had been interrupted by something important.

Two tab files were opened on his computer: the first one would alert him if someone used magic in Auradon and the second went through a database, which contained all Auradonians. He figured that, if the Fairy Godmother had to use magic, she'd grab her wand and bibbity bobbity boo her way out of it. If she did, Carlos would know. The Fairy Godmother also had to register herself, placing her picture in the big database. Off course she would use a different name (everyone had to register or be killed when the authorities found out they didn't register), but the computer scanned faces, not names. He had the computer compare the picture of a younger Fairy Godmother with every other picture in the database.

The idea behind this part of the plan was simple: find the person/surge of magic, find the wand. She probably didn't want to give it up so easily and wouldn't just leave it with someone else to guard it. And right now, the computer told Carlos he was coming closer to what he needed to do.

He looked at the screen and he soon became happy. "No way," he said as a grin slowly crept on his face. He soon couldn't contain his happiness anymore and jumped around as a little kid who just learned he had won a contest. _I finally found you,_ he thought once he was calmed down. Suddenly, the two extra days weren't too bad anymore. He knew where to put the bomb. He was overjoyed with the result, but not because he didn't need to travel for or because he just discovered how the Fairy Godmother looked like nowadays.

Carlos recognized the face of the older Fairy Godmother.


	12. If only

**Hey everyone, here's the next chapter. You can already gues what might happen, based on this chapter's title, so I hope I did this scene justice. Also, sorry for the (kinda) late update - I went on a vacation with my family. Anyway, first I'll reply to your reviews and then you can read this chapter:**

 _PurpleNicole531:_ _Thanks for reviewing! Yes, they do. We'll see both rather soon. Yes, things are going to become quite dark in this story and some things may happen._

 _Kingson24601: Technically, he's under Evie and Jay's control since Carlos has nothing to do with them anymore - but he's certainly one step ahead of everyone when it comes to finding the wand. Thanks for reviewing!_

 _Decembra1998: __Thanks for reviewing! I didn't really think about that... but him being related to the di Angelos seems plausible if they shared the universe (which is, unfortunately, not the case since this is just Disney - it would be awesome, though). There will be some sort of monster in a future chapter, but none of them will be mythological. She'll still mainly use rhymes since it works best for her, but I was just trying to make sense of the magic in that universe. Yes, Chad made some bad decisions, just like the one last chapter. I think Carlos must be really smart - smarter than we think he is._

 _pinksakura271_ _:_ _Philip bothered with him because he raised the boy. Chad is still a prejudiced, llittle jerk who still has to learn a lot about Mal, her friends and the world around him. Yes, Evie could have done that, but the way she chose may be just as effective, maybe even more effective than torture. If things go well for Carlos, he may be the one who gets the wand first. Thanks for reviewing!_

 _jaleftwich:_ _Thanks for reviewing! We'll meet her within a few chapters. Evie goes as far as she wants and/or needs to go to get the results._

 **Enjoy!**

 **-Writer207**

* * *

Thirteen days had passed since Chad left the alliance to take a break. Today was the day he was supposed to return, but he hadn't come back yet. Not that anyone but Philip, Ben, Audrey and some of friends cared about when he was supposed to return. Everyone agreed the days had become slightly more agreeable without the grumpy Charming around.

Mal and Philip always met each other at the alliance's center at two o'clock, never at another time or another place. Those who passed by everyday could see the progress she made. The first thing she did during her second lesson was open the door and now, with lesson fourteen, she was choosing random (harmless) spells from her spell book and tested them. She had been doing this for the last hour, discussing the spells with Philip, who just watched how she cast each spell with perfection.

Ben came walking to the square. He had finished all of his work for the day and now Philip had to do his part of the shared job. Ben came early, so he could see Mal cast spells. The last spell she cast was one which completely changed Jane's hair into something beautiful. He heard how Mal asked if she had to change it back, but Jane liked what Mal had done. When Jane walked away, Philip came closer to Mal.

"That was great," he said with a smile on his face, "I don't think I can teach you anything else. So from now on, there will be no more lessons. Just don't forget to practice every once in a while," he added before walking away, going to the place where he was needed. Ben then took his time to walk towards her. Soon, she noticed he was coming to her.

"Hey," Ben greeted her.

"Hey," Mal said back, putting a smile on her face. Every day since her first training, Ben always came to see how well she cast her spells. It was always the last five minutes of the training, and during those five minutes each day Ben had seen her become better and better.

"You're doing great," Ben then said, "I'd never be able to do what you can do."

"I don't know about that," Mal said, turning her head to see Philip walk at a steady pace to where he was needed, "I guess some people can learn to do magic if they're born without it." Ben turned his head as well, seeing Philip leave. As a friend of the family, he knew how hard Philip trained to become a magician.

"I guess you're right," he responded, then turned his head to her. "So, I would like to show you something."

"Okay," Mal said nodding, "what is it?" Ben started to grin.

"You'll see. Let's go." He already turned around, ready to take Mal there. Yet, Mal had to ask one more thing.

"You mean, right now?" she asked, taken aback by his words. She thought he wanted to show her at a later time. Ben turned around to face her and nodded.

"Yes," he said, "Are you coming?" Mal didn't hesitate to say 'yes' and follow the leader of the alliance. There haven't been many opportunities to talk to him the past weeks. Whenever Philip was teaching her, Henry would make sure there was something she could do for the community, sometimes going on missions like when Henry still was her guide.

But now she had a chance to talk to him. She could trick him into telling her things he shouldn't tell anyone. She still had her spell book with her – she could suggest casting a spell without telling him the effects of said spell. She could make him tell the truth, she could completely change him. There was a possibility of torture, but she quickly excluded that option. She was evil, but that didn't mean she had to be extra wicked. Besides, he never did anything with wrong intentions, so it would be cruel to hurt him.

She was still thinking about a strategy when Ben told her they had arrived. He pushed away the leaves that blocked their view and once Mal saw where they were, her jaw dropped. It was one of the most beautiful places she had ever seen and probably one of the few places that wasn't affected by evildoers and dark magic.

They were at the shore of a small lake. It was different from all other lakes she's seen. The water was clear enough to see rocks lying at the bottom and it reflected the sunlight. Right in front of her, when water touches land, there were ruins of what could have been a small temple or shrine. The roof – if there ever had been one – was gone and all that still stood were some pillars which were supposed to carry it. However, there was no debris to be found.

"What do you think?" Ben said with a smile, waiting for her reaction.

"Ben…" she said, being left speechless for a short amount of time, "this is wonderful! Where are we?" She immediately asked him, wondering what this place was called and how the villains hadn't found and polluted it yet.

"We are at the Enchanted Lake," Ben said, looking at the water and the ruins.

"Enchanted" she then said, "Why is it called the Enchanted Lake?"

"Some people say the water have magical attributes," Ben explained, looking at her, "Nobody has officially confirmed it yet. Would you like to go any closer?" Mal nodded at this request and together, they walked until they stood at the center of the temple. They sat down on the cold stone, side by side, looking at the water. They remained silent until Mal wondered how far they had walked.

"Ben?" she began, "How far from the alliance are we?" Ben turned his head to her.

"We're still within alliance borders," he explained, then pointed at a tree at the other side of the lake. "Do you see those trees over there? They lie on the border. We're safe as long as nobody can cross it." Mal nodded, taking in all details in peace. The birds were singing in the distance, the wind blew softly in their faces and Mal stared into the water.

"So… she began again, hoping to have a longer conversation now, "Why did you bring me here?"

"I just wanted to show this to you," he said. Mal turned her head to him. She had the feeling that wasn't the only reason why he brought her here.

"Is there a second reason, too?" she asked him and he nodded, turning his head to her.

"There is," he then said, "If you need some alone time, this is the best place to go to. Only a handful of people know about this place." Mal nodded, quickly formulating a response to keep him talking.

"Then someone must've shown you this," she said. She figured nobody in the alliance would just stumble upon this place, considering they walked over fifteen minutes to the Enchanted Lake. Someone must've brought him here.

Ben nodded, staring off in the distance as he talked. "My parents did. They used to visit the lake often with me. We spent a lot of time together here." he began to smile again.

"Really?" Mal asked out of curiosity. Spending time with the parents other than eating and the usual meetings during the day was a concept she was not familiar with and only heard of.

"Yeah," Ben responded, "It wasn't always fun, though. Dad and I sparred sometimes and I spent a lot of time swimming with mom." Mal listened and that last part caught her attention.

"You can swim?" she asked him. Ben nodded.

"Mom thought it would come in handy. When people want you dead, you might have to swim to stay away from the goons who want you dead." He paused for a few second, "Can you swim?"

"No. nobody taught me," Mal said, "I asked mother about it once. She told me I shouldn't learn how to swim. She convinced me it was useless when you have magic to avoid having to swim. She thought it was a waste of time." She could remember the way Maleficent spoke to her and how she had been too afraid to contradict her mother. _Some things never change,_ she thought. Has there ever been a moment when she wasn't afraid around her own mother.

"If you want," Ben said, "I can teach you how to swim."

"Really?" Mal said for the second time this day. Ben nodded.

"Yes," he said, "The water isn't too deep here. You can always give it a try," he said. Mal couldn't believe her ears. This boy, whom she barely knows for two months, wants to teach her how to swim, while Jay had always refused to let her try, probably because at that time, he too was afraid of Maleficent.

Mal smiled. "I'd love to." He smiled back at her. _He's cute,_ she thought. _Too bad he may have to die._

As they continued to talk about other things, Mal thought about the near future. Once she had the wand and gave it to her mother, she would rule supreme. Nobody, not even the gods, would be able to stop her. And, Mal added, if her mother found the alliance, she would definitely kill every single member she found. Not that she wouldn't do that if she didn't have the wand. Then, a thought popped up in her mind and she was unable to push it back.

 _Do they really have to die?_ No, they don't. Her mission was to retrieve the wand, not to kill, so she wouldn't. But if she found it, their chances of survival diminished.

 _Do they deserve to die?_ Absolutely not. They were just trying to survive in a world where villains ruled.

 _Do you like the way they operate?_ That depended. They had to do everything in the shadows, but they were doing the right thing and then, it didn't matter how they helped others.

 _Do you like what they're doing?_ She did. They helped people wherever and whenever they could, with the risk of being killed. To be completely honest, she had never met braver people.

 _Do you like being good?_ That was the trickiest question her brain could ask her, one she didn't know the answer to. She definitely wasn't a good person yet, but she also wasn't completely evil anymore. Her time at the alliance has changed her, though she had no idea if those changes were for the better. She did know it would take time to undo what this place had done to her.

She started to doubt. What should she do? What is the better choice: listening to her mother, or listening to her heart? The only difference was that her heart would at least be merciful towards everyone she had met the past months.

Mal sighed. If only she knew what her heart was telling her. If only she could read the signs. That way, things would be easier. She'd know what to do. She'd know who she was meant to be.

Eventually, she made her decision. Mal would find that wand and deliver it to her mother. But there was no rush, right? She was already doing everything to find it. It already took a few months – her mother might have to wait four more months until Mal saw the wand. Until then, she could stay and do more good. She knew she'd be procrastinating, but at least she gave herself time to make a final decision. She already guessed she would make the decision once she stood face to face with the wand.

Behind them, they could hear how someone was running closer. Ben and Mal turned their heads in the direction of the noise. Ben stood up to take a closer look. Eventually, they could see who was coming closer: it was just Doug.

"Hey Doug," Ben greeted his friend, walking a little closer to him.

"Hey," he said, looking from Ben to Mal and back to Ben. He decided he wouldn't ask what they were doing and instead got to the point. "I already figured you'd be here."

"What is going on?" Ben asked, starting to get worried, "Are we under attack?"

"No," Doug said, shaking his head, "No, but I have some good news."

"Okay," Ben nodded, sighed in relief because nothing bad was happening. "What is the good news?" he then asked.

"One, Chad's back," Doug said, "But that's not the most important thing. Ben, your parents have returned."

"My parents are back?" he asked, unable to believe it, staggered by the news. Doug nodded in response.

"Yes, they are. They're waiting for you in the Camp Square." Ben didn't hesitate. He immediately walked back to the camp, closely followed by Doug. Mal had no choice but to get up and follow them. It would be nice to meet Ben's parents. Even if the boys were walking faster than her, she followed their traces all the way back to the camp.

Eventually, after a fifteen-minute walk, she was back in the alliance center and ready to meet the parents.


	13. Meet the parents

**Hey guys! I'm back with the next chapter of Warriors. It took a while again, but two weeks isn't too much of a late update, right? Either way, let's see Mal meet Belle and the Beast. Will they like her? Will they kick her out? No-one knows. But before you'll read which one happens, I'll respond to your reviews and then back to Mal:**

 _pinksakura271:_ _Thanks for reviewing! I did have fun on vacation, thanks. Yeah, Chad is a real pain in the butt. I do believe he has some qualities, but he's still a jerk. I can say it might be awkward. Yes, there's nothing more Philip can teach Mal. Who knows, maybe she'll accept the offer when she decides to stay good (if that's what she decides). We'll see what she's gonna do with the wand later, but I'm sure she'll be reluctant._

 _Kingson24601:_ _Thank goodness you like it. I thought it'd be too cheesy for this story, but I couldn't possibly leave it out. And yes, that's all Ben has to do. Maybe, later in this story or in a sequel, he could teach her. Thanks for reviewing!_

 _TKDP:_ _Thanks for reviewing! The only thing Evie did to him was kiss him once, maybe twice. And maybe Ben really likes her, or maybe not. We'll have to wait a little to see some more evidence but you can say he's starting to like her. Well, Ben's parents are not dead, fortunately. They were alive, just hiding._

 _lucayarulez4ever:_ _I'll go back to the other VKs when the time is right. Thanks for reviewing!_

 _PurpleNicole531:_ _Thanks for reviewing! Well, I really like the scene, too! I've always believed that scene first showed the progress she's made in Auradon in terms of being evil/good. Yes, she should follow her hart, but it'll take a while before she's convinced she truly wants to be a good person._

 **Enjoy!**

 **-Writer207**

* * *

Once Mal was back at the camp square, she saw how crowded the place was. Mal could barely find Ben and his parents in the crowd. _His parents must be popular,_ she thought. If it had been only Chad, it would've probably just been Ben, Philip and Audrey.

Speaking of which, she passed them on her way to Ben's parents. Philip stood with his back to Mal, but she could clearly see Chad and Audrey's faces. Chad looked surprisingly tired. He was frowning, had folded his arms and blinked a lot more than someone usually would. His smile didn't look too genuine. Audrey, on the other hand, was smiling and seemed relaxed. As soon as she noticed Mal was looking at her, her smile briefly turned into a smirk. It only lasted three seconds, after which she looked back at Philip and smiled again, ignoring Mal again.

Mal wondered about the meaning behind the smirk she just saw. Whenever she and Audrey communicated here, there was always a reason. So what was Audrey trying to tell her this time? the more she thought about it, the more it confused her.

Eventually, she decided she'd figure it out later and continued to push herself through the crowd. Just like everyone else, she wanted to see Ben's parents and to do that, she'd have to reach the middle of the crowd. She arrived there after a while, almost exhausted from the effort. People around her were pushing to get a view, but nobody dared touch Mal. People did occasionally try to stand in front of Henry, who was currently standing on Mal's left. Mal wouldn't admit it, but Ben's father looked rather intimidating. She'd expected him to still be a hairy beast, but she was mistaken. That didn't take away that he definitely was used to danger and might turn into a rage monster anytime soon. Belle, on the other hand, wasn't like her husband at all. She was calm, relaxed, proud. She even had a smile on her lips. She wasn't a warrior – she was a healer, the first doctor of the alliance. Though, looks can be deceiving. She is a dangerous woman, but only to her enemies.

In the meantime, everyone tried to listen to what the father and mother had to discuss with their son. There were some bystanders talking to one another, but those were nothing more than whispers. Henry had asked her what she thought of them, but she just shrugged in response, trying to focus on the family, hoping she wouldn't have to leave.

Then, Beast saw her. It wasn't too hard to notice her – she probably was the only person in Auradon with naturally purple hair. If he had seemed nice before, he now changed completely. His gaze hardened, channeling the anger he felt for Maleficent and focusing that anger on her daughter. Belle noticed what was going on and then she saw the girl with the purple hair, too – Mal was already glad Belle didn't glare at her.

"What is _she_ doing here?" Beast asked. If looks could kill, Mal would've been dead already.

Ben cleared his throat, "Two weeks ago, the council voted her into the alliance. Henry Westergaard guided her. I promise you, she is no longer evil. If she wanted to betray us, she would've done so already."

"Has she caused any trouble?" Belle then wondered and Ben shook his head.

"No, she hasn't," he said. Almost immediately after hearing these words, Belle turned her head in Mal's direction and flashed her a smile.

"Welcome to the alliance," she said and Mal started to smile, too, mostly out of relief. She'd feared they would kick her out because of her mother. She'd feared nobody would help her once they dragged her away. She'd feared not remembering anything that happened, both the bad and the good times. She was welcome, despite her heritage.

"Thank you," Mal said. She, Henry and everyone else continued to watch Ben talk to his parents, daring not to interrupt them.

"Why didn't you come back sooner?" Ben then asked them, continuing the conversation which his father had interrupted once he saw Mal. "We were all waiting for you. We feared you were…" he trailed off, not wanting to finish that sentence.

"I know you were," Beast said, "I wanted to come back immediately, but there has been a slightt delay." While he said this, he turned his head to his wife. She continued talking and explaining why it took them six weeks to return home.

"I didn't want him to go anywhere as long as he wasn't healed. It was slowing us down before and traveling with such a big wound was a risk I didn't want him to take." Beast held his hands at his right side, pressing them to it. Mal guessed that was where he got hurt.

"We're too old to continue doing this, anyway," Beast said.

"What do you mean?" Ben asked, worried about his parents. Beast and Belle looked at one another.

"Ben," Belle said "your father and I have been talking about this a lot lately. The alliance is only as strong as its leader. It needs young, energetic leaders who can keep up with everything the villains throw at us. I guess I speak for everyone when I say you're the perfect candidate." The crowd, having been silent for most of the conversation, now erupted in whispers among one another. Mal and Henry couldn't help but to grin when they heard the news.

"You're going to be the leader, Ben," Beast said, "We'll arrange a meeting with the Fairy Godmother as soon as possible. Philip told me you are more than capable to be the leader this alliance needs." Beast put his hand on his son's shoulder. Ben sighed in relief.

"Thanks, dad," he said with a big smile on his face. In the crowd, Henry clapped once. And then a second time, and a lot more after that. Mal soon joined him, and then those behind them. Soon, the crowd was clapping and cheering to show their support for Ben and to express their happiness about his now permanent leadership. Ben barely took in the applause. He just looked around at everyone, thanking them for their support.

Through the crowd, someone was walking closer to the three. it must be someone who hadn't been here for a while, Mal realized, since the person had to fight his way through the crowd to come any closer. Eventually, Chad managed to stand on the edge of the circle. This time, the people who were standing close to him didn't walk off, since they wanted to see if anything else exciting happened.

"Wow, look at him," Henry said, looking at the last Charming alive. "Whatever happened, it must've been exhausting." He still looked somewhat tired. He let his shoulders hang and swallowed once before putting on a small smile. A fake smile, Mal noticed.

"Congratulations, Ben," he said – he didn't even sound happy for his friend, "I knew you'd get the job." Ben turned around to face his friend when he heard the voice.

"Thanks," Ben said in return, stepping a little closer to him. Chad took the opportunity to walk into the circle, coming closer to Ben. As soon as he took one step forward, Mal and Henry could see him from head to toe, as well as the small dagger he was holding in his hand.

Henry and Mal reacted before anyone else noticed what was going on or what Chad was holding. Mal opened her spell book – she had to carry it all the way to the lake and back here – and looked for a specific spell, once she's used before, while Henry physically tried to stop Chad by running closer and trying to take the dagger. Chad, prepared for a possible fight, immediately turned to Henry. Henry first tackled Chad and then, once they were both on the ground, grabbed Chad's right wrist. He twisted it in the hopes that it would hurt Chad enough so he'd let go of the weapon. Chad took the dagger with his other hand. He pushed it closer to Henry, who had gotten a hold of the other wrist as well. Chad was, unfortunately, a lot stronger than Henry, so the dagger slowly came closer to Henry's body.

Eventually, Mal found the spell she was looking for. Without hesitation, she spoke the same words she used to knock out the goons when she first met Ben. _Please, don't let it hit Henry._

 _"In, out, without a doubt, knock this man out."_ Almost immediately, Chad stopped moving. His eyes closed and he became unconscious. Henry took the knife and put it on the ground next to him before standing up. He looked at Mal.

"Thanks for the help," he said and Mal nodded. Then, she noticed the small rip in his shirt and the wound Chad had given him. Blood was dripping out of it, though it wasn't a lot.

"Are you okay?" she said. he frowned, then looked at his wound and back at Mal.

"It's just a scratch," he said, "I hardly feel it." Before Mal could ask anything else, someone interrupted them.

"What just happened?" Beast asked them – the entire scene had happened rather fast. The shocked crowd didn't have the time to help Henry and Mal because when they had recovered, the fight was already over.

"I think Chad just tried to kill you," Henry said.

"He would never do that," Ben said, hoping to make sense out of his friend's actions. He knew Chad could be a little hotheaded from time to time and that he could lash out as well, but he was certain Chad would never take a dagger and kill people, especially those who are close to him.

"Well, he just did," Mal said, picking up the dagger from beside Chad, "And this was going to be the murder weapon." She showed it to Ben, but kept it for herself. She realized she's seen this little thing before. She didn't know where it came from or how old it was, but she was certain she had seen this before. When Ben was done looking at the weapon, he turned to his now unconscious friend, wondering what had driven him to attempt something like this.

"Take him out of our sight!" Beast commanded, "Put him in a cell. We can deal with him when he wakes up." The crowd was more than happy to help lock Chad away. Some stepped forward and dragged the body to the crowd, where they then picked him up and carried him out of their sight. The people who picked took him to his cell, since they didn't show up again.

"Thank you for saving us," Beast then said, looking at Mal and Henry.

"We just did what anyone would've done," Mal said. It seemed Henry wanted to add something to it, but he never could. Abruptly, he looked at the ground, grabbing Mal's shoulder. He just uttered one small word: "Wow."

"Henry?" Mal then asked, turning her head to Henry.

"I'm fine," he said, looking up again. He stared at a point in the distance. "I'm fine, I'm just… a little dizzy, that's all." He did not let go of Mal's shoulder. Instead, he started leaning on it.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Mal asked. He wasn't looking as well as he did just five minutes ago. He bit his lip and had a grimaced expression on his face. He hadn't moved the hand covering up his wound and it looked like he wouldn't move it anytime soon.

"Maybe I should sit down," he muttered and slowly tried to sit down. Mal helped him and not much later, he was sitting on the ground, hands on the ground to support him. His wound didn't look unusually bad. Ben and his parents, as well as some bystanders, had joined her to see what was going on with him. Belle placed her hand on his forehead and, after a while, pulled it away.

"He isn't too hot," she said, ruling out fever and other illnesses where the bodies get a few degrees hotter. Maybe Belle's mother instincts kicked in when she saw Henry like that. That and her experience as a doctor here could help her determine what's going on.

"What did he do?" she asked and Henry shook his head. He started to have trouble breathing and decided to lie down for a while. He looked at Belle.

"I dunno," Henry said, "he just scratched me." Then, he looked at the sky before closing his eyes, maybe to focus on fighting off whatever was causing it. Belle wouldn't let him, however, since there still were questions which needed to be answered.

"How much does it hurt?" Belle asked him, but there was no reaction. She said his name, shaking his shoulder slightly. Unfortunately, he still did not react. Mal grabbed his wrist and searched for a pulse, afraid of what might have happened. There was one, fortunately, though she didn't know what to do next. Nobody taught her how many beats to count in what amount of time. Instead, she decided to look at his chest. His breath was a bit slower than normal, but at least he was still breathing.

"Get him to the infirmary!" Belle told them. Beast and Ben jumped into action, lifting Henry. Beast held the boy at his shoulders while Ben held his legs. They started to walk through the crowd, straight to the infirmary. Mal and Belle walked closely to the victim, holding the possible murder weapon tightly. As soon as they had walked through the crowd, Mal started to run to give Doug, or another doctor, a heads up. She hadn't visited the infirmary yet, but she had seen Doug enter and leave a specific building many times. It was safe to assume that's where the infirmary was.

She ran inside the building and finally saw how it looked like. There were several cots placed next to one another. There were no more than fourteen cots in this room. There was an opening in the right wall, leading to another room she couldn't see. There were three patients in the room, two girls and one boy.

Behind her, the door slammed shut, startling some of the patients. She showed them her most sympathetic smile. "Sorry," she said, "I didn't mean to scare you. Have you seen Doug?" None of the patients had to tell her, since Doug came walking in. He had been in the other room, doing his job as soon as he returned from delivering the message to Ben. He sighed when he saw Mal.

"What happened? Who got hurt?" he asked. If he was worried, he didn't show it that much. Must be because of his job.

"It's Henry," she answered, "Chad tried to kill Ben and his parents, but Henry stopped him." Doug raised his eyebrows.

"Chad wouldn't do that," he said.

"Apparently, he would," she replied, "Henry's dying. This is what Chad used." Mal then handed Doug the knife Chad used to harm Henry. She hadn't let go of it since she picked it up. Doug took it from her and looked at it while she continued to talk. "They're bringing Henry here now. I hope you can help me."

Doug shrugged. "Probably. I'll see what I can do." He walked into the other room, which may function as his office, while Mal held the door opened for Ben, Beast and Belle. Fortunately, they were already close by, which made it easier for Doug to get started.

When Doug came back to the main room, Ben and family had walked into the room and placed Henry on the nearest cot. His right hand lay on his stomach, his left arm dangled next to his body, as there was no space for his arm on that side of the cot. Doug walked to them immediately, taking a closer look at the wound. Belle stayed close to Henry, too.

"Can you help him?" Ben asked and Doug nodded.

"Maybe, maybe not," Doug said, "Depends on what we're dealing with. We'll figure it out. But we can't do that with you watching our every move."

"We have to leave," Mal said. She didn't know how it felt, having to save all those people who were injured. They wouldn't just lose their lives, but the alliance would use one of those scarce allies. She did know people didn't like to be watched when doing something incredibly important.

"Right," Doug said, finally looking up from Henry, "We'll give you a sign when he's better. Oh, Mal," he quickly added, "Maybe you'd better wash your hands. Just in case. We don't know what's on the blade." Mal nodded and then followed Ben and Beast outside.

The crowd had disappeared – everyone had gone back to do their work. Ben and Beast were walking away, probably to a spot where they could continue their talk in private. While she looked around, she noticed Hadrian. He was just standing at least fifteen yards away from her. He wasn't particularly looking at her, but at the building. At least, she hoped he wasn't staring at her. What had brought him here, anyway? There was nothing interesting to be seen in this part of the camp.

 _Wherever he goes, death follows_. She remembered Chad's words. they didn't necessarily have to be true, even if he was usually drawn to places where people were going to die.

She walked away from the infirmary building too the camp square. Hopefully, Hadrian wasn't standing there because of what happened to Henry. _He isn't,_ she tried to convince herself, _he's just standing there because he doesn't have anything to do._

At least, that's what she hoped.


	14. The traitor

**Hey again, guys. Here's the next chapter, at last! I hope I did this chapter well. I've been waiting to write this chapter and the next two from the beginning. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. First, let's go to your reviews, and then we'll see how things are going for Chad and Henry:**

 _PurpleNicole531:_ _Thanks for reviewing!_ _Of course he has, he had no choice in the matter. Yes, the knife was poisoned and Chad will be interrogated. Unfortunately, he isn't really the sanest person right now, so it'll have to wait a while. Not all of them, just Evie (though she planned it with Jay)._

 _Kingson24601:_ _Yeah, it's Evie's fault that Chad has gone crazy. He's okay for now. Anything can happen at any given moment._ _Thanks for reviewing!_

 **Enjoy!**

 **-Writer207**

* * *

The first thing he thought when he regained consciousness was: _I'm not dead._ Henry had no idea what had happened – after all, Chad had just scratched him with that knife – but he did think to know what caused him to feel so miserable. When he wasn't thinking of the attack, he tried to get a grip of his surroundings. There were voices talking all around, though he could barely hear what they were saying. He was laying on something which didn't truly feel comfortable, but it was better than having to sleep on the ground.

When he finally succeeded in opening his eyes, he stared at the wooden ceiling. He turned his head to the right and found Mal sitting next to her. Once she noticed he was awake, she smiled. He started to smile as well, though that didn't last long.

"How are you?" Mal asked him.

"I should ask _you_ that question," Henry responded, trying to sit. When he looked around, he saw other cots and no more than two others occupying them. He realized he was in the infirmary. "I'll be fine. At least, I think I'll be fine. How long have I been lying here?"

"Two days," Mal said, "Though it could've been a lot longer if Doug hadn't figured out what was killing you."

"I'm guessing it's poison," he said and Mal nodded.

"Yes it was. He said he recognized it. Apparently, more people have nearly died because of this poison," she told him. Some pieces fell into place when he thought about the circumstances and the way this particular poison was used. He remembered witnessing a death match, where the two competitors would fight to the death to survive and win the love of the girl they loved. Unfortunately, neither of the boys knew one cut was more than enough to die.

"It was Evie, wasn't it?" he asked her. "She's got her mother's skills. And her poisons book," he added, having seen the book stand on the shelf between the other books. It was a birthday gift from her mother.

Mal nodded, confirming it had been her friend who put the poison on the knife and so had sent Chad to kill him. The smile disappeared from her face. She should've known someone would be influenced to do what she wanted them to do. And Chad had not been an exception.

"So, how's Chad?" Henry then asked "How does he cope with being a prisoner?" Not that he was interested in his well-being, but he did want to know if he reacted the same as the lovesick fools in the dungeons he visited when he went to meet Evie for the first time.

"He's been yelling," Mal said, "trying to break free. He doesn't make sense. The only thing I can understand is that he wants to go back to Evie."

"He's lost his mind," he commented, summing up what had happened to every boy who ever had had the misfortune of meeting Evie and her showing interest. At one point, every man wanted more and would do anything to gain her affection. If they couldn't get it or if she lost interest, the guys would either lose hope and die of depression or go crazy and die after doing something stupid. The fairest of them all was also one of the deadliest women alive.

"Yep," Mal said. They had to make sure Chad wouldn't try to do anything stupid. They tied him to a chair and left him there under the watchful eye of volunteers. From what she's heard, all of them reported hearing Chad yell, curse and insult everyone and everything.

"Shouldn't he be sane enough?" he wondered out loud. "It's been two days. That's enough time to calm down, think about his actions and talk." Mal didn't immediately respond. She had no idea how long it would take until Chad was sane enough to talk and confess. Truth is, it was always different. Some people get over it in a couple of days – a couple of hours if they're lucky – and some stay lovesick for weeks.

Before she could say anything, Doug appeared next to them. They greeted one another before Doug turned to Henry.

"Are you feeling better?" he then asked Henry, who nodded in response.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Henry said and Doug nodded.

"Good to hear," he said and then turned to Mal. "I don't mind you being here, but can Henry and I have a word? In private?" Mal said 'yes' and then stood up, ready to leave the infirmary.

"Thanks for stopping by," Henry said.

"It's the least I could do," she said, then left Henry behind with Doug to discuss things. As soon as Mal walked out of the infirmary cabin, she went straight to the other side of the alliance camp. Special cabins had been placed there to keep prisoners for an unspecified amount of time. They never could stay for more than a month in the same cabin. Most prisoners didn't last a month anyway.

It took her a couple of minutes before she reached the prisoner cabins. They were just like all the others on the outside, but differed on the inside. Walking through the door, you'd reach the visitor's section. It was just a bare room with two chairs and few windows. There was a second door, which was the only way out for the prisoner inside. A small light bulb was hanging from the ceiling, magically lit up since electricity was unfortunately unavailable this deep into the forest. There were no windows, just the one through which the visitors could look at the prisoner.

When she entered Chad's cabin, she wasn't surprised to see Ben was here. No matter what they said or what Chad has done, Ben still considered him a friend - and, above all, a friend who is worth saving. Because, however Chad acted, whatever that man would do, Ben would still consider him as a friend. That's what Ben is: a friend when nobody else is, a man who believed in you when nobody else does. Even if that person is someone like Chad.

"How is he?" Mal asked. She couldn't hear him scream, so Chad was in one of his calmer moments. Ben had turned his head when she had opened the door, but now looked back at Chad.

"He's... calm," he replied, "hasn't shouted since this morning." Ben was aware of what Evie had done to him, and the fact that he hadn't shouted since that morning, roughly ten hours ago, was an improvement.

"Maybe he already wants to talk," Mal said. After a while, Ben nodded.

"Let's give it a try." He walked to the door, taking the key from his pocket. With a small click, the door opened and they entered Chad's prison cell. There was no way Chad could escape - he was still stuck tied to the chair. He didn't look up when the door - he didn't react at all.

"Chad?" Ben asked, cautiously, "Do you want to talk?" There didn't come an answer for a long time. For some moments, Mal believed Chad hadn't heard it or ignored what he was saying. After everything she had heard, it was weird to see him sitting in that chair, calm and unmoving, head facing to the ground.

"There is nothing to talk about," Chad eventually said, still refusing to look up, even if it was a good sign he was willing to talk, "I'm unreliable. I betrayed you. I let her invade my mind. Just… do what you have to do." Mal looked at Ben and he looked back at her. There was something in his eyes that was unsettling. He was looking at her for support, as if she was supposed to know what Chad meant. But she didn't. Soon, he turned back to Chad, who still hadn't moved anything but his mouth.

"And what about extenuating circumstances?" he asked, hoping for an answer. Hoping for a way to help his friend.

"There aren't any," Chad replied. "if there are, don't consider them. I committed treason. Give me the appropriate treatment. Punish me."

"What's the punishment for treason?" Mal asked. She'd been around long enough to know there were rules within the community and punishments for each rule when someone broke it. Before Ben could answer her question, Chad did.

"Death," he said. Now Mal understood why Ben would be looking for extenuating circumstances. Chad finally lifted his head. Even from that distance, they noticed his red eyes and how he slouched. "Make it quick. I don't deserve your mercy. I don't deserve _anyone_ 's mercy." He continued with a hushed tone, barely audible for Mal and Ben. "I don't deserve to live."

"Why?" Ben asked, slightly shaking his head. He couldn't hide the desperate tone of his voice. Mal looked at him, surprised. Despite what Chad had done and had gone through, he still wasn't ready to give up on him, as many others would do. One more reason to admire (or despise) him – no matter what happened, he would never let his friends down, whatever they had done.

"I betrayed you. Tried to kill you," he replied. Ben sighed, wondering how Chad could wish to die.

"It's not your fault," Ben said, "It's hers. She made you do this." He tried not to mention Evie's name, since they had no idea how Chad would react when he heard that name.

"Not entirely," Chad then said, turning his head away from his friend. "I wanted you removed as leader. I wanted someone else to make decisions you never could. I never meant to harm you, to harm anyone. She's stronger than she looks. I tried to resist, I truly did, but I… I had no control. But I was aware of what I had to do. I would've done it. Gladly, even." Chad paused, taking his time to make sure he wouldn't cry. Then, he continued: "I'm sorry for everything I did. Now punish me for it."

Mal looked at him and saw not just the man she knew from before she left, but also a broken man. without hesitation, she would pull the plug. End it, right there and then. Give him what he wanted so badly. He'd be with his parents. Good riddance, too. But Ben wouldn't allow it. He won't.

"What did she want you to do?" Ben asked him.

"She…" Chad said, but rephrased what he originally was going to say. "Everyone here had to die. Especially the leaders. I obeyed. She promised me that, when I killed you, we'd…" He paused for a few seconds, taking the time to gulp. "But she lied. I just followed her orders."

"Did she share anything with you?" Ben then asked, hoping to get at least a bit of information, "Any plans, ideas?" Chad nodded once before answering.

"She was talking about your destruction. The alliance had to be torn apart, its members killed. She said…" he hesitated for a moment, but decided to continue anyway. "She said Maleficent would come here. She'd come and destroy everyone here. She'd tell her beasts to leave nobody alive. She just needed the location…" He stopped talking, realizing something he should've realized sooner. His eyes widened and turned his head back to Ben.

"Evacuate everyone," he said, sounding as scared as he looked. "Get them out of here. She's coming." Mal and Ben knew he wasn't talking about Evie this time.

"A-Are you sure?" Mal asked him and he nodded.

"Yes, I am," he replied, "I don't know how much longer you have. Get everyone away from here, somewhere safe. Somewhere far away from here. Once that's done, get rid of me." Ben nodded. But he had to be sure. They fled once before, but that was a false alarm. He had to be certain Maleficent was coming.

"Did you tell her where to look for us?" Ben asked him. After some silence, Chad nodded.

* * *

"Sound the alarm. We're evacuating," Ben told one of the two designated guards at the edge of the section with the prison cabins. The guard nodded her head and then ran away to sound the alarm. The other guard waited for his commands.

"Take Chad and get him out of here with your group," Ben told him. That guard turned around and walked to the cabin where Chad is. before either Mal or Ben could say anything, a loud siren could be heard. An answer was the faint sound of a second siren at the other side of the camp.

"That's efficient," Mal said. Ben nodded.

"Yes, it is," he said, "But some people won't move when hearing the sirens. Can you go to the west side and make sure everyone will evacuate?"

"I'll tell them to go," Mal said, thinking about ways to make people move without having to threaten them and ruin the good reputation she'd been building.

"Meet me near the center," Ben then told her, "If you can't make it, go with the people there. We'll go to the same place." Mal nodded in response and then ran to the west side.

It took her two minutes to get there. Once she was there, she tried to get people to get up and evacuate. Some were harder to convince than others, but eventually everyone came out of their cabins, stopped their work and followed the evacuation procedure. Mal was surprised they were calm, collected and knew what to do – there was no panic, no fear of what could happen. This made her wonder if they rehearsed the evacuation or whether they had to evacuate a lot in the past.

After a few minutes, there were just some more people to go before everyone in this area was ready to leave this camp site. She approached the cabins in which they lived when she heard the noise.

It was a loud roar, coming from the woods around the camp. Mal immediately turned her head in the direction of that roar. Others either turned their heads in surprise, too, or shrieked in fear. She couldn't blame them – those roars had frightened her in her childhood, too. anything that produced such a loud sound was something to be afraid of.

Mal stood and stared as she heard the roars growing louder and coming in their direction. Only when she saw the creatures in the distance, she turned around and ran. She had no idea why she didn't run before seeing them. Not looking back, she told everyone to run and leave, screaming those words over and over again. She rushed past everyone who went slower than her, not ceasing to warn everyone to run and leave. Panic quickly spread through the crowd and soon, everyone was running for their lives. The exact image Mal had expected when she told them they had to evacuate. Mal sped towards anyone who trusted her. Unfortunately, she couldn't find them soon.

More beastly growls could be heard. Not much later, coming from the same direction, there were humans screams, sending shivers down everyone's spines. If possible, she ran even faster without looking back. She didn't need to know how far away they were from her. She hoped the creatures had surrounded the camp and that the other side had more luck. The screams of men, women and children mixed together with the sounds those creatures made didn't give her a lot of hope, especially since the sound wouldn't cease, no matter how fast she ran and how far away she was from the beast she's seen first.

She considered herself incredibly lucky to bump into Hadrian. At least one person she knew had survived the attack so far.

"What are those?" He asked her, afraid of what was chasing the alliance members who hadn't been able to flee yet.

"Terrifying beasts," she answered, speaking as fast as possible, "We have to get out of here." Together, they continued to run away from the creatures, straight to the camp center. There had to be more than one. They always were sent with more than one, hardly with less than ten per assault.

"Mal!" She almost ran past Ben and Philip during her search for them. The way he shouted her name let her know the beasts had indeed surrounded the camp. There were five more people with them, all equally terrified of what was to come.

"Get us out of here," Mal said, "They're here to kill us all." As the beasts approached, Philip spoke the spell to transport them out of this place. It took him long enough for them to see those beasts come around the corner.

Nobody could tell what exactly they were. The name 'beast' or 'creature' was a perfect name for them. Mal had never seen them before, but hearing them growl was more than enough to recognize them as the beasts her mother kept locked away in the dungeon. They stood seven feet tall on all fours, as huge as a bear and fast as a wolf, with a long tail, black fur and sharp teeth. But none of that was what stood out the most about these beasts. Not when human eyes were staring right at you, glaring at you, picking you as their newest victim.

The beasts were only three yards away when Philip finished the spell and they were swept off their feet by the whirlwind generated by the transportation spell. Not much later, the nine members were safe and out of reach of those beasts. _At least they can't fly,_ Mal thought when she took in her new surroundings.

It was something she had never seen before. Everything looked brighter and more colorful than any place she's ever visited. She didn't feel the animosity she felt wherever she went. Instead, this place – wherever she was – made her feel calm and happy. The grass and leaves were greener, there was no cloud in the sky and the water wasn't polluted. She was surprised she could see the bottom of the river, which ran near to the place where they landed. Other than that, it looked like the alliance had been maintaining the place in case of an emergency, since there were cabins present like there were in the alliance, but not as much as back there.

Other than looking at the environment, she noticed everyone who had been evacuated earlier were here. A lot of familiar faces walked around, getting to work. Doug, Belle and some others helped some of the patients into one of the wooden houses. It pleased Mal to see Henry could walk properly without anyone's help. A bit further, Chad was sitting on the ground, in plain view, probably to make sure he wouldn't try to do anything funny.

"Where are we?" Mal asked nobody in particular. Ben came standing next to her and looked with her over the new alliance location.

"Neverland," he said. Mal turned her head to him, frowning.

"But doesn't Captain Hook live here?" She had never been to Neverland, mostly because Captain Hook liked to keep the territory for himself and his crew plus families. He never liked visitors, anyway. She always did hear stories from when her mother went there. The fairies who survived were put on display, kept alive and derived of their fairy dust. The Mermaids fled into Ursula's territory and the Indians were either killed or could flee. They haven't been seen since Captain Hook claimed Neverland as his country. Legend has it that, up in his bedroom, he skinned the crocodile who bit his hand off and kept him as a rug. Peter and his Lost Boys were gone for good. As for the Darlings, only Michael and his son Mikey survived the manhunt, and both father and son were safely walking among the alliance members on the island.

"Not on this part of the island," Ben said, "He lives behind the mountains and beyond the river. He and his crew never come to this part of the island." Mal looked at the mountains in the distance. Captain Hook and his children were at the other side, unaware of what was happening on the other side of their island. _If mother knows of this…_ Mal thought, but interrupted herself. Her mother would be cruel, she knew that, but that didn't mean she had to think about how her mother would punish Hook for 'collaborating' and 'giving the enemy a place to hide'.

"What were those creatures?" a young woman asked, shouting out and sobbing her heart out after what she's heard and seen no five minutes ago.

"Where'd they come from?" a child then asked out loud, supporting the woman who might be her mother.

"Why did they have human eyes?" a man wanted to know, looking for answers. Soon, people were asking these questions all over the place, waiting for someone to answer them. Everyone also waited for someone else to come from the original alliance home, but nobody came. Those who were still there never made it back home.

Ben, Philip and Mal tried to calm down the crowd, which was desperate for answers. They were so busy that they didn't notice Michael Darling and son approached them until they were standing next to them.

"If you have any idea what happened, please tell them," Michael said. "They – we – need answers." Mal nodded in response. She knew what they were. She's always known, yet had never stood face to face with one. She didn't speak for a long time. When the night was starting to fall and people were getting ready for bed, she wanted to speak.

Ben called the council together. Obviously, his parents were welcome to attend as well, and they did. Philip and Ben welcomed everyone in the cabin designated for the council. Doug refused to come, since some people needed assistance. Lonnie helped Chad into the cabin, since he was still in chains. Nobody knew how long Evie would be influencing him and they needed to be certain he wouldn't do anything. Since she was accepted, she had learned the names of the other council members. Alice from Wonderland came rather soon along with Shanti, the girl who fell for the boy who grew up in the jungle. The young Hiroki Hamada was the last to come in. He apologized for being late, since he didn't really know his way around here. Lilo and Ariel were exceptionally late. Everyone feared the worst, because the worst may have happened to them.

"Thank you – all of you – for coming to this meeting. Mal knows what the creatures are," Ben said. The room exploded with everyone talking to one another at the same time. It was hard for Ben to calm them down. Luckily, he had some help.

"Silence!" Everyone fell silent when they heard Beast say this. He didn't have to raise his voice to make everyone stop talking. Then, he turned his head to Mal. "Go on," he said in a friendly way, "Tell us what you know." She nodded and then looked around. Everyone, except for her and Ben, were standing in half a circle around them, ready to listen to anything she would tell them.

"I know you're not going to like what I am about to tell you," Mal said. Nobody replied to her words, so she decided not to wait and tell them what those beasts were.

"Those creatures…" she said, "they are created by my mother. They only serve one purpose: destroy and kill. They don't listen to anyone except for mother. They fear her enough to do as she says. They have no emotions and there is no end to their bloodlust. And they…" she paused, thinking about every prisoner she ever saw being brought to the dungeon. She couldn't remember their faces. How could she? She never bothered to remember them, anyway. But she did feel guilty for everything that had happened to them, for everything they were forced to do and be.

After a while, she continued talking. "And they know you and probably hate you for abandoning them." This provoked some confused expressions from everyone.

"What do you mean?" Alice asked her. Then, Mal decided to look directly at Ben for the remainder of her explanation. She knew he wouldn't judge her for her mother's actions. He made her feel comfortable. And that's all she needed to continue telling the story, even if other people were asking questions.

"When my mother imprisons people, she executes them after a couple of days. But there's a small chance of survival. It's what she calls being 'replaced'. If you're being replaced, it means she makes another insignificant person look like you and they will take your place."

"So you'd live? The guy takes your place, he dies and you live," Hiroki said. Mal took a deep breath before answering.

"Yes, but I'd hardly call that living. After all, if you don't die in front of the townsfolk, you become one of those beasts." Nobody said a word as they let the news sink in. Only after a while they dared to talk again.

"So our friends and family are the ones who attacked us?" Alice asked and Mal nodded, taking another deep breath before answering.

"Yes… no, I… some of them attacked you. Others, who were more important to the alliance, are dead," she said. There was a long silence as everyone realized their lost friends and family members are either dead or among those beasts who attacked them. Another cruel way of the villains to break their spirits. Break the spirits, break the alliance. And the villains, especially Maleficent, would win.

"But why human eyes?" Shanti then asked. Mal shrugged, turning her head to the jungle woman.

"I don't know," Mal said, "I've only seen them for the first time today. I guess that mother intended for you to be weak when you recognize the eyes of family and friends."

"Can they reach us here?" Beast asked her. She turned her head to him and recognized some of Ben's patience inside. She shook her head and responded to the previous leader.

"They can't fly and shouldn't be able to track us to this place," Mal said. Beast took a step forward, standing near his son and Mal, ready to address the council properly.

"Now we know Maleficent has those creatures to do her bidding, we should act fast. Everyone should know what they are. They have to be ready for another attack – we don't know when she'll strike again." He looked directly at Ben when he said the following words: "We can't delay it any further. Tomorrow, we go to the Fairy Godmother. Tomorrow, you'll be the new leader."


	15. Moment of truth

**Hey, guys! I'm back with this new chapter - I guess you've been waiting for this one, right? The one where Mal, Ben and some others go to visit the Fairy Godmother. The one where Mal makes her final decision: good or evil? Either way, this chapter will definitely go out with a bang. Anyway, here are my responses to the reviews and then, there's the anticipated meeting:**

 _PurpleNicole531:_ _Thanks for reviewing! That means I succeeded. He doesn't always have to be a bad guy by default. We'll get back to that later. And yes, they definitely are terrifying. I'd love to go to Neverland, too! I thought that if they could have a second base anywhere in Auradon, it'd be there (It was there or Olympus). Ben sure can handle the responsibilities. He's proven himself already. But he has every right to be nervous, with Maleficent hunting them down. And this is the part where she shows up. I'm sure you'll like it._

 _Kingson24601:_ _Every story needs a bit of drama. Yeah, they really came close. Either she was desperate or she discovered where they live. If Chad told Evie, he might have also told Maleficent out of fear for what she may do. Or she could've had someone spy on that conversation. Who knows? Thanks for reviewing!_

 **Enjoy!**

 **-Writer207**

* * *

The next morning, at the crack of dawn, Ben and his companions left Neverland to go to the Fairy Godmother. While he was away, Philip would watch over the alliance and when Ben returned, he officially was the leader. He'd transport them there and back again, but that was it. After all, he was the one who would tell the alliance what those beasts are. He'd also be able to watch over Chad.

Of course, Ben wasn't going alone. His parents were coming with him. Mal went there as well – Ben wanted her to be there, probably just in case things go wrong or if Maleficent showed up. She did have to wear a hood. The company was complete when Henry joined them. He volunteered to go with them as a guard and refused to stay behind. He couldn't be bothered by the fact that he'd just overcome his fiancée's poison.

Philip gave Ben a small phone – "Call me as soon as you need to get back." – before casting the transportation spell. Mal was slowly getting used to this kind of transport, but still hated it that it left them always gasping for air upon arrival. They had arrived in a forest, which was not too dense to walk through. She recovered quickly, like Beast's family, but Henry still coughed when they were ready to go.

"Are you okay?" Mal asked him, hesitantly placing her hand on his shoulder. He nodded and with a move from his shoulder he pushed Mal's hand off of him.

"I'm fine." Henry said. He didn't look at Mal.

"Are you sure about coming with us?" Mal then asked.

"I'm fine, okay?" Henry said, sounding slightly irritated, and then started to walk away from the group. The others followed him. At least he'd stormed off in the direction of where the Fairy Godmother lived. No matter how fast they walked, Henry always stayed at least five yards in front of them. They guessed he was doing it as their guard, but something was wrong. Mal could feel it. After spending one month with him watching her every move, she got to know him better. Something was definitely bothering him.

"Do you know what's going on?" Ben asked her. He looked at her, but after the question was asked, he looked at Henry.

"No," Mal admitted, shaking her head. "The last time I saw him, he was in the infirmary. I had to go because Doug had to tell him something."

"Then he received bad news," Ben said and Mal nodded in agreement. Whatever that news was, Henry did not like it. Yesterday, Mal approached him several times to talk to him. He always avoided having to talk to her, either by walking away or telling her he didn't have the time. Today, he was doing the same.

They walked for ten minutes in silence. They all thought about the same woman and the magical item she was guarding. Mal wondered how much further they'd have to walk when they arrived at the edge of the forest. Not much later the group of five stood in the sunlight and watched the scenery in front of them.

They watched over the village where the Fairy Godmother had been hiding, just one mile away from the edge of this forest. It was a small village with one main street in the middle, ending in a village square at the other side. There were several smaller streets connected to the main street and one another. It was a grim sight, with all those locks on the door and the planks and nails ready to be applied to the windows. The streets were deserted today, which didn't happen a lot.

But Mal didn't pay much attention to the village. No, she looked at the castle in the background. It was a dark, scary castle, but it hadn't always been like that. She knew that it had once belonged to Philip and Aurora. It was a sight she hadn't thought of since she first left. And with the goal of coming here, the castle looked rather threatening. After all, Maleficent could be at home.

"Are you okay?" Belle asked her eventually, snapping her out of her thoughts. She and her companions had stopped walking. They were waiting for Mal to follow them. Mal nodded in response.

"Yes, it's just… I'm home," she said, dumbfounded. She thought about Jay and Evie and Carlos, about the efforts they were making to find the wand. How far had Jay travelled? How much boys did Evie have to enchant? How many systems had Carlos already used to find it? How would they react when they knew the item they were looking for was right under their noses all along?

"Why?" she then eventually asked them. She wasn't hoping for an answer, but she just needed to ask. "Why here? she could've hidden _anywhere_ in Auradon. So why here?"

"This is one of the safest places to be," Beast told her, and he turned his head to the village. "When people try to kill others, they run away. As far as possible. It's an instinct – going as far away as possible from the danger. Villains understand that and look far away from where they live. They never consider looking close to home. Why would they? Their prey would be running from them, not towards them."

"So the closer they are, the safer they are?" Mal said.

"Of course," Ben told her. "She stayed here longer than any other village where she lived. She has never been safer." Mal nodded and then the group continued walking in silence.

During the walk, they mostly looked around. Mal, on the other hand, didn't just watch, she recalled childhood memories. Her fondest memories included Evie, Jay and Carlos running around the streets and fields, scaring people, being evil and having fun together. She could pinpoint the exact location where they would always wait for Jay to return from his journeys. She remembered how proud Carlos had been, holding up the first dog he'd killed. She could still see some local boys swooning when Evie walked past them. Even when she was evil, they still had fun together and shared some great memories. And now, they were on opposite sides of the law.

Eventually, they stopped at one of the houses in the south of the village, in one of the smaller streets. It was nothing special, as it looked like all other houses they've passed. But this one seemed to be in a better state than most. Beast knocked three times on the door, paused, and then two more. They didn't have to wait long before the door opened.

Mal recognized the face. She had seen the Fairy Godmother's face so many times, but never knew who she truly was and what she was capable of. She only ever knew her as an elderly lady in blue, and never thought of her as special.

"It is time, isn't it?" she asked the group, and everyone nodded. Then, her eyes fell upon Mal's purple hair and her eyes widened. "What is she doing here?"

"She is with us," Ben said, "she was accepted into the alliance three weeks ago after a month of being guided. She is on our side." The Fairy Godmother stared at her for a while, until she showed her a small smile.

"Welcome, then. Come inside, before they spot you." She then let everyone enter into her house. First, Ben and his family stepped inside and then Mal. But Henry didn't follow behind her. Mal turned around and looked at Henry, who was looking at something to his right.

"Are you coming in?" Mal asked him, but Henry shook his head, turning it to her.

"I'm staying outside," he said.

"But…" Mal protested, but Henry didn't let her finish.

"There's nobody out here," Henry said, finally making eye contact with her. He looked sad, but nothing else indicated he was actually sad. "There has got to be a reason for that. Don't tell me it's always this deserted here." She sighed. Normally, there were at least some people in the street. And with this kind of weather, there surely should be some kids playing with the parents watching them. If she remembered correctly, today is the market day of the village. But there were as much booths as people in the streets at this hour.

"I'm going to investigate," Henry said, "Don't worry, I'll be fine." He then turned around and walked around the corner, disappearing from sight. She decided to let him do what he wanted to do and went inside. She closed the door behind her.

Mal opened another door and ended up in the living room, where the others were sitting on the old couch. During her absence, the Fairy Godmother had taken the time to take her magic wand.

"You can stay with us until you've found another home," Beast told her. She thanked him for this opportunity, but it didn't necessarily mean she accepted it. She then looked at Ben, who looked rather nervous. And he wasn't the only one. Everyone in the room was nervous for what they were going to do.

"So you really want to do this?" the Fairy Godmother asked him.

"Yes," Ben said, trying to sound more confident than he felt.

"I can't protect you very long from Maleficent. More likely, not at all," she continued, "You will have to be very fast to get out of here."

Ben nodded. "We have to do this," he said. A protective spell would be cast over him, so magic (specifically dark magic) wouldn't hurt or affect him. At least he'd be protected from Maleficent, but everyone would still be able to cut him, hit him, kick him without retribution. It didn't protect against physical assaults, after all.

But Maleficent would show up. In a world where the good guys are hunted down, good magic works as a beacon. If Maleficent was in her castle, she'd be at their doorstep in less than two minutes. And then all was lost. They'd be executed in front of everyone. Mal would have to endure a punishment, too, and she wouldn't be surprised if she were to share her new friends' fate.

She realized this was the moment where she had to choose between good or evil. This time, she couldn't delay making the choice. And that decision was rather easy to make. In her heart, she had always known what she wanted to do.

"Wait," she said right before the Fairy Godmother could utter her most famous words. She, Ben, Beast and Belle looked at her. The Fairy Godmother worried for what might follow next, as did Belle and Beast. But Ben just waited for her to tell them why she interrupted them. She took a deep breath and then continued talking.

"I think I can help to conceal us from mother," she said. "There's this spell. When it is cast, it creates a dark dome, some sort of magic force field, around a certain area. If anyone is under it, they can't get out. Not even with magic. That force field also happens to dampen the spells cast inside it." She didn't have to finish her explanation. The Fairy Godmother knew what she meant.

"We can go undetected," the Fairy Godmother said and Mal nodded. She smiled at her. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," Mal said, smiling back at her. She then recited the spell, word for word. It was one of the few he knew by heart, since Maleficent used this one a lot. The next moment, the Fairy Godmother and the family were trapped under a transparent, though darkened force field. Mal hadn't joined them, since she would have to cancel the spell, too, and it might not have worked if she was under there with them.

She watched as the Fairy Godmother waved her wand and said the infamous spell. "Bibbity Bobbity Boo." She couldn't really see if there was anything that indicated whether the spell had worked. Maybe she was just disappointed, since she had expected to see a stream of white light. Or anything else and all.

The Fairy Godmother nodded at her. Mal then cast the counter-spell and the dome disappeared. "Congratulations," Mal said and she smiled at Ben, who smiled back at her. Belle gave him a big hug. When she was done, it was Beast's turn to congratulate his son in a similar manner. Once he let go, he smiled at the new alliance leader as well. "You'll do great," he said and Ben nodded.

"You must go now," the Fairy Godmother said. She had just put the wand away again, behind lock and key and hidden from plain sight. "Maleficent will be here soon." There was no way of knowing how much of the blast was absorbed by the magic dome, and she did not want her guests to stay long enough to find it out.

"Come with us," Ben said, "Like you said, Maleficent will come soon. She'll kill you." The Fairy Godmother sighed and she put up a smile.

"Thank you for the offer," she said, "but I can't just leave. People will start asking questions." She had a good point. Ben nodded.

"We understand," he said. "Someone will be waiting for you in Alba. You can go there when you're ready." The Fairy Godmother nodded in appreciation. Before they could leave, there was still one question she had to ask.

"How is Jane?"

"She's okay," Ben said, smiling at her, "She's never been safer." The Fairy Godmother sighed again, only this time out of relief.

"Thank you," she said.

"You're welcome," Ben replied. Then, they walked out of the living room and eventually out of the house of the Fairy Godmother. They immediately looked up into the sky. There was no sign of Maleficent yet. The force field had worked. For now. They still had to get out of there as fast as they could. But before they could leave, they had to find Henry.

"Henry?" Ben shouted, looking around in the street, "Where are you?"

"Over here." Henry's voice came from her right, around that corner. Mal turned to Ben and his family.

"You go ahead, I'll get him," she said. Beast agreed with that plan, as did the rest of his family. They walked away from her – "Be careful," Ben told her – and disappeared out of sight when they turned around a corner. When she couldn't see them anymore, she turned around and walked to the place where Henry was. She walked around the corner and stopped immediately when she saw him.

"Henry?" she asked him, "What are you doing?" She did not find him just standing around. No, he was standing in front of a construction, a seemingly iron cube. It was about three to four feet tall and rather large. And from her perspective, it looked like Henry was giving it a big hug, partially covering it with his body.

"What does it look like?" he asked her, turning his head to her.

"You're hugging a bomb," she said, couldn't stop staring at him. Mal recognized the design. She had seen the drawings earlier, when Carlos was ambitious and devised a plan to blow up the forest and, as a result of the explosion, kill most dogs and wolves and other animals living there. He never got to make the bomb, since he had that idea when he was only eight years old. But now, it was standing in front of her, fully built and as far as she knew, fully operational.

"Yeah, I know," Henry said. He did not like that idea, "but how else am I going to protect the Fairy Godmother from the blast?"

Mal frowned in confusion. "You're going to do, _what?_ "

"I'm guessing we weren't the only ones who wanted to go to her," he explained. "Even if they just want the wand. Now someone's gonna blow her up. We can't let that happen." He and Mal looked at one another for a short period of time before he turned his head away from her again. He did not let go of the bomb.

"You can't stay," Mal said. A few months ago, she would've just told him to move it. She would've pulled him away. She might have not helped him at all. But she changed. She couldn't let Henry die.

"Sure can," Henry said. He looked at her and saw the desperate look in her eyes. He sighed. "Look, there's nothing you can do to make me."

"Henry, just come with us," she said, but he shook his head.

"No thanks. I think I'll stay here."

"But…"

"Mal," he interrupted her. He raised his voice, but he continued talking in a normal voice. "I don't know if you've noticed, but there are no bright red numbers counting down to zero. You should get out of here." He sounded more desperate with every spoken word. Mal didn't budge.

"I'm telling you the same," she said, "Why are you staying?"

"Because I want to be of some use before I go."

"Before you go where?"

"Before I go to Hades!" He didn't mean to yell, but he did before he could stop it. The words resonated in the back of her mind. She understood the meaning from the first second, but it took a while before the message hit her. As for Henry, he looked away from her and continued talking while Mal watched him in shock.

"I thought you understood," he said. "After all, you were her best friend. There is no antidote. Never has been. Whatever Doug has given me granted me a maximum of ten more days to live. _Ten days._ That's not enough to do what I've always wanted to do. But Mal, please, let me choose. If I'm gonna die anyway, why not make sure the Fairy Godmother is safe?"

Mal shook her head. She could not accept Henry's choice. "Please don't do this," she said – no, she begged. Henry shrugged.

"You can't stop me," he said.

"The blast will be too big. You might just die for nothing," she said, tried to talk him out of it. She saw the blueprints, read about the calculated blast radius. True, Carlos was eight when he developed the project, but he was already pretty smart back then. Some, excluding his mother, might call him a prodigy.

Henry nodded. "I was going to do that in nine days anyway," he said and forced a smile on his face. It faded away almost immediately. "Just go. Please. Tell Ben I'm sorry. Tell him what I'm doing. He'll understand. If you ever see Evie again, tell her that I never stopped loving her. And Mal, you be careful, okay? Now, go."

"What did you do?" he asked her.

"I created a force field around you," Mal said, "It may absorb the blast." She had no idea if it would work. There has never been a case of someone creating an explosion to escape this dome. It could hold, saving the Fairy Godmother's life, but it would kill Henry. Even if the force field didn't work, Henry would still die.

Henry nodded. "The blast may still break through it," he said, not moving an inch, "Goodbye. Good luck." Mal did not stay any longer with him. It would hurt both of them. Henry did not look at her. Mal did not look away until she turned around the corner. First, she walked. When she reached the main street, she ran. Once she was out of the village, she tried to fight back the tears, expecting the bomb to go off at any moment.

She could not immediately find Ben, Beast and Belle at the edge of the forest. Maybe she was so distracted by Henry's condition she ran to another part of the woods. Maybe Ben and his parents already walked to the meeting point. Whatever the reason may be, she did not expect to hear someone whisper-shout her name.

She turned her head to noise and her eyes widened. "Carlos?" He was standing there, signaling to come closer. He was smiling widely. Out of sheer curiosity, she walked closer to him.

"Hi!" he said, "I'm glad to see you again!"

"Me too," Mal said. After two months, it was good to see Carlos like this: happy and in a good mood.

"I'm also glad you're out of that stinking village," he continued. Mal frowned while he turned his back to her and walked back to where he came from. Mal followed him closer to the edge. "I did wait for you, you know." He grabbed a small object – Mal couldn't see what it was.

"Why?" she asked. _Why did you wait for me? Why did you lead me here? Why are you even here in the first place_? But Carlos didn't answer. Instead, he picked up the binoculars off of the ground – Carlos must've brought them here – and handed them to Mal.

"Take these," he said, "and look at the village. Pay close attention." Mal did as she was told and looked at it through the binoculars. Everything was bigger and it seemed she stood closer to it now. She was looking for something, anything at all.

As soon as she realized what she was supposed to look for, there was a big explosion. She couldn't unsee the damage nor forget the sound it made when it went off. Smoke rose from a certain area and suddenly, the village lived again. People came out of their houses, screaming in terror, wondering what had happened. Some went to see what had happened. At least four houses were damaged and completely destroyed. One of the houses, possibly standing closest to the bomb, was damaged, but it surprisingly survived being destroyed. Around the site, child was crying for her mother to get up. A man carried a body out of a damaged house. Many more dug in the debris to find people underneath it and potentially save them. Everyone who was hurt, eventually survived this disaster. Those people, however, would never be able to find any piece of the auburn-haired boy who died protecting one very important woman.

Mal slowly lowered the binoculars and stared at the village. She felt numb and a single tear rolled over her cheek. There was only one thing she could think of. A second tear appeared. Carlos was oblivious to her sadness and took the binoculars he gave her.

"That's weird," he said. He placed them at his eyes to look at the village and then lowered them again. "There should've been a bigger blast."

Mal turned her head at him. She noticed the object in his hand. She knew what it was – the bomb's on-switch. She lifted her head and now looked at her friend, the murderer.

"You built the bomb?" She tried to be mad and angry, but it sounded rather indifferent. Carlos nodded, not yet looking at her.

"Yeah," he said, "I had to do _something_. We couldn't reach you and Evie and Jay thought my ideas would never work. But they did work, as you can see. Unfortunately, something went wrong." He put the binoculars back at his eyes and watched the village, hoping to find out what exactly went wrong.

"You killed him," she said, a slight tremor audible in her voice. Only then Carlos looked at Mal. His face paled when he saw her. He recognized this stance – Mal was angry and Mal would not hold back, not even for him. He did what anyone would've done in his situation: he dropped the binoculars and the switch and ran away from her.

He was too late. Maleficent had always taught her that, if you suppress emotions long enough, there would be one powerful blast once she finally cracked. Maleficent always encouraged her to show emotions related to being evil, but told her sadness was a weakness. Mal had never been sad before, so she had no idea how heart wrenching it would be.

She screamed out of agony and one powerful word echoed through the forest. She sank on her knees and let it all go. A purple blast wave spread rapidly, with Mal at the source, and in no time it hit Carlos. He immediately stopped moving and fell down to the ground. He did not get up. And Mal sobbed and continued sobbing. She couldn't stop. After all, this was the first time she had lost a friend.

"Mal? Mal!?" Ben shouted from afar. They grew louder and louder until Ben had finally found her. He knelt next to her and wrapped his arms around her.

"It's okay, it's okay," he tried to calm her down. "What happened?"

"Carlos made a bomb," she said, and glared at the place where he lay. "It exploded. He killed Henry."


	16. Change of heart

**Okay... After one quite eventful chapter, here's another one! (Don't worry, nothing will explode this time) It'll be relatively calm, though you never know what can happen. Either way, someone will have to rethink what they thought was right. Before I spoil too much, here are my replies to your reviews and then the chapter:**

 _CaptainMansBabyGirl_ _:_ _Thanks for reviewing! Here's the next chapter._

 _germanyswarrior:_ _Yes, it will attract a lot of attention, though that was more of a mistake Carlos made. He accidentally picked the same day they were visiting and Henry was caught in the crossfire. We'll see what happens to Carlos today. Thanks for reviewing!_

 _PurpleNicole531:_ _Thanks for reviewing! Well, Hadrian did say two people would die (chapter: the lessons) and apparently, one of them was Henry. It just had to happen, unfortunately. Yes, it is a sweet moment. Ben would comfort her instead of standing around, so that's what I've done._

 _Kingson24601:_ _Who said he wanted to kill? He just wanted to blow something up, not necessarily Henry. Carlos is still alive (for now), don't worry. Thanks for reviewing!_

 **Enjoy!**

 **-Writer207**

* * *

It wasn't pleasant waking up. He'd been having such a good day. The day was special, for it was the day when he'd take the Fairy Godmother's wand and keep it to himself. He'd planned everything to the smallest detail and made the necessary arrangements, such as informing (ordering) the villagers to stay indoors. All he had to do was detonate the bomb and go get the wand. Maleficent wouldn't care – it was just an explosion in the village, anyway. Things just exploded. There even had been an explosion three weeks ago, but that's completely irrelevant. Either way, everything was going incredibly well.

And then Mal showed up. Carlos was about to press the button when he noticed Mal coming out of the house, along with the rescued prisoner and an older couple. Then, she went out of view for a while when the others had left her. Not much later, she ran back into view and out of the village. He detonated the bomb while she watched it happen through the binoculars. "You killed him." It wasn't the words she chose to say, but the way she said them that had scared him. He knew her long enough to know running away was his only option. He could remember her screaming and he lost consciousness while running.

The next thing he knew, he was waking up in a dark room with just one door and one lightbulb on the ceiling. Carlos himself, he soon realized, was sitting on a very uncomfortable chair. Not just any uncomfortable chair, but one with arms. They tied him up to those arms and he couldn't even move his legs. He was trapped in the room, on a chair, at the mercy of whoever brought him here. He did have an idea as to who it might've been.

The door swung open and his suspicions were confirmed. It was the purple-haired girl he once counted as a friend. After those two months, he didn't know whether she was still a friend or an enemy.

"Good morning," she said, folding her arms. He stared at her and decided to keep doing that the entire time.

"Hey, Mal," he replied, "How are you?"

"I'm fine. You?" Really, they were going to start with small talk? Couldn't she come up with something better to say?

"Couldn't be better," he said, then feigned to reconsider his answer. "Or wait... Yes, it could. You know, I can tolerate this, no problem. But you've got to tell me why I'm here and why you knocked me out!"

Mal didn't flinch, didn't even react to what he had said. She was being emotionless, he realized. _At least she can still do that._

"You set off a bomb," she said. Carlos nodded.

"Yeah, duh," he said, "I sure did, you were there. Tell me something I don't know."

"People died." Carlos' facial expression changed a little. There was shock and surprise, but recovered quickly. Don't let them see your true intentions and emotions. Smile less, talk more to cover your feelings. It always worked.

"Okay, that wasn't my goal," he admitted. When they were inside, there was a bigger chance of survival than when they were out in the street, which is why he warned them. Of course he never said there'd be a bomb. "I just wanted to destroy that house and grab the wand from the ruins. Couldn't get in there without blowing it up, even if I wanted to. Lots of traps. But, yes, that risk was there. They should've known better than to stick their noses in my business." He added that last part without giving it too much thought. Nobody should stick their noses in his business. He'd never allow it.

Mal apparently didn't like what he'd said. Especially that last comment caught her attention. Her facial expression changed. Carlos couldn't say he's seen it before – at least, not on her face. She was… sad. And distraught. And that last part might have to do with him.

"How can you say that?" Mal said, sounding rather shocked. He couldn't understand why she said that, though the environment had changed her. He leaned closer to her.

"Why can't you?" he asked, "No two months ago, you would've shrugged and forgotten. Did you suddenly became compassionate with those peasants?" Silence fell between them. He waited for her answer, while she did not want to answer that question. Instead, she decided to confront him with his actions.

"You killed Henry," she told him. He leaned back in his chair.

"So there was Henry there? Bad for him," he said, keeping up the act of indifference and stoicism. Mal shook her head in disapproval.

"Henry Westergaard," she said, fighting back her tears. Fortunately, that's one of the things she could do well, "He was Henry Westergaard, not just a Henry, and you killed him!" The weight of the words now became clear to him. Henry Westergaard wasn't a name he'd forget soon, since he was Hans' son and would be the one to marry Evie and nobody else. Carlos dropped the stoic face in favor of one of shock and surprise.

"Oh…"

"Oh? That's all you have to say? Oh?!" Mal exclaimed and Carlos nodded in response. It was his only response. Mal put her hands at her head, as if she'd pull out her hair from frustration, but didn't. She briefly turned her back to him, too, before facing him again.

"You changed a lot," she told him. Carlos frowned – what was Mal trying to do now? It did matter, for it might just mean his survival or freedom. Both were rather important. He told himself to ask Mal later why exactly he was here, and where 'here' is.

"I never changed, you have," he told her.

"You were a sweet kid," Mal said – he knew she was referring to their childhood, "A nice kid. I remember you almost fainted once when you saw a half-eaten rat."

Carlos sighed loudly. "What's your point?"

"You have changed," Mal said, looking at him with some disgust. "What I see before me is not the sweet kid I remember from my childhood. All I can see now is a cruel, merciless hunter."

"You've changed, too," Carlos said in response. It wasn't good to dwell on past and rather unimportant times. It was the now that mattered, and not what has been. "I don't know what they did to you, but you've gone soft."

Silence fell again. Mal used the time to think about Carlos' words and about how they didn't make her soft, but more of a human being. Carlos, on the other hand, stubbornly continued to watch her, thinking about other ways to potentially get her back to her roots.

"What happened in the village?" he eventually asked.

Mal folded her arms. "As if I'm going to tell you."

"But you were there," he said, leaning closer again, "You were _close_. I bet it was within reach, too. Why didn't you grab it?" Mal didn't even get the chance to answer. Carlos sat back in his seat. "Never mind. You won't tell me either, right? But I don't understand why you just let it be. You'd be powerful. You'd have more power than before. All you'd have to do, is speak those nonsense words and do as you please! Why did you ignore such power?" _Because power isn't always good. Because too much power can corrupt your mind._

"I can already do magic," Mal answered, hoping he'd be satisfied with the answer.

"That's not a reason to ignore the wand," he said.

"Shut up," she told him. She was trying to tell him to drop the subject, but Carlos interpreted it in a different way. He leaned forward again.

"Do you want me to?" he asked, "Because I can go on like this for a long time. I'm not gonna stop. So, you could've been powerful. Good and evil magic combined. Take the wand, rule the land." He thought about those last words and nodded. "That sounds good. Can you write that down?" he then asked her. Mal groaned. He was annoying her. Good. She'd be leaving soon, which meant some alone time. Carlos could use his alone time.

"You're no better than the others," Mal said.

"Good," Carlos said, a smile finally appearing on his face, "That means I've still got it. Unlike you."

"Carlos…" she said, but he wouldn't let her finish.

"No, now you shut up," Carlos told her, "Which one of us is the better villain? Well, clearly, that's me. And that's saying something, since that question compares me to you, the daughter of one of the cruelest people in the world. What if we change that question, huh? Which one of us is the better hero? That'd be you. Or no, neither of us are. You're not a hero. Not even a good guy. Two months isn't going to change that. It takes one moment for a hero to become a villain, but years before a villain can finally be seen as a hero. Why settle trying to look like a hero when you can turn your back now and come back and be what you're always meant to be: a bad guy. Or, in your case, a bad girl."

The silence came back again, resulting in a glaring contest between the two. Eventually Mal looked away.

"This is pointless," she said as she turned away from him and walked away.

"Hey!" Carlos called out for her, "Where are you going? I'm not done with you yet!" But she didn't turn back around. She closed the door behind her and Carlos slumped back into the chair, for as far as that was possible. Finally there was some time for himself.

 _Oh Mal,_ he thought as he shook his head, _what have they done to you?_

 _She's no lost yet,_ he immediately added. There still was a small chance that she could be saved. But what did he have to do to get her to be evil again?

* * *

After Mal had closed the door, she sighed deeply. She knew Carlos could be cruel, though not as cruel as he had acted today. He may have just been doing that to annoy her, but he just was exceptionally cruel.

"And?" Ben asked. He had been waiting in this small room. Outside, two people were waiting for them. They were there for protection, both from threats in- and outside the prison cell.

"He's hopeless," Mal said, "He acts so… well, he acts like he usually would. An idiot, stupid and stubborn."

"Why did you drag him here again?" Ben asked her. She never really stated a reason for taking him back to Neverland. She refused to leave without the Hunter. They had to take him with them if they wanted Mal to come along.

Mal shook her head and shrugged. "I don't know, I just…" she sighed, "I guess I just wanted to hear him confess." She had to hear him say he did it, and had hoped for an apology. Yet, all she got was an 'oh' when he realized it was Evie's fiancé he killed. Saying that killing people wasn't one of his goals was not an apology.

Ben looked at her. "We have two options now," he said, "We either drop him off in the middle of nowhere without any memory of what happened here, or we kill him."

"We are not going to kill him," Mal said resolutely. Ben sighed. It was always nicer when they were on the same page.

"He's in our camp and killed one of our own," he said, "The rules say we should—"

"I don't care about the rules," she said, interrupting him. "He's my friend."

"Even after what he did?" Ben asked her. "Even then, you still call him a friend?" After a short period of silence, Mal nodded.

"He's different," she said. Ben just had to disagree with her on this, shaking his head.

"He's a villain," he said, "He doesn't belong here."

"Neither did I," Mal told him. The two stared at one another, hoping the other would soon see they were right. Hoping to agree with each other again. Hoping they wouldn't have to fight over this. "You and the council gave me a chance," she eventually said, "Why?"

"Because I…" he paused, searching for the right words, "I saw the good in you. I still do."

"And I see the good in him," Mal said, "He's only the way he is because of our parents. They all are. Our parents aren't the best teachers. We would be better without them." Ben nodded in response. At least they could agree about something.

Then, Mal's face lit up. "That's it!" she said. Ben frowned.

"What?"

"I think know how we can show Carlos his mother is wrong," she said, looking at him expectantly, as if he'd know what she was talking about. Yet, all he could do was shrug.

"How?" he wondered out loud.

"Let's find Dude," Mal said with a suggestive smile. Even with Carlos safely tied up and unable to do what he could do best, Ben was horrified when he thought about the alliance's mascot joining the Hunter in his cell.

* * *

After only ten minutes of solitude, Mal came back inside the room. Carlos nodded at her.

"So, you've come back," he said, "How hard do I have to convince you to release me?" Mal shook her head, as to tell him he couldn't convince her. Instead of verbally answering his question, she asked him a question he couldn't ignore.

"What do you think about dogs?" Mal asked him. There was a small, suggestive smile on her face, but Carlos didn't pay much attention to it. He just responded to the question, telling her the anticipated answer.

"Dogs are vicious, merciless, ferocious creatures whose only goal in existence is to terrorize and be utterly annoying and attached to normal people. Al dogs are evil, but are also against us. All dogs, however small, should be killed," he said with enough anger, "They do make great rugs, among other things." He added soon after he said the first thing. Mal nodded.

"Okay," she said, "Now, I'd like to hear _your_ opinion." Carlos frowned.

"I just told you my opinion," he said. Mal shook her head – she'd expected he'd say that.

"No," she said, "You just told me what your mother thinks about them."

"So?" Carlos said, "Our opinions are the same. We're allowed to share beliefs, you know."

"True," Mal said, "But I don't share your opinion. I think they are not vicious, merciless and ferocious. Not at all. They don't terrorize people and they certainly should not be killed." Carlos glared at her in confusion. She had never really cared about the fate of dogs. She could never care less whether they lived or were murdered. And now, she suddenly thought they shouldn't die.

"Since when do you think that?" he wondered out loud.

"Since I've met a dog here," Mal said and the suggestive smile appeared on her face again. He suddenly knew what she was planning to do. "I'm sure you'll like him, too."

"Are you going to do what I think you're gonna do?" he said, a hint of fear audible in his voice. Mal nodded.

"Probably," she said, "You won't mind, right?" Carlos shrugged.

"Even if I did, I can't leave," he said. "I'm at your mercy."

"Exactly!" Mal said, with a smile on her face. Evil or not, she still had it in her, "So now is a perfect time for you to meet Dude." Carlos clenched his hands while Mal walked to the door and opened it. When the she turned back to Carlos, she held a dog in her arms and someone closed the door behind her. Carlos leaned back as far as he possibly could as Mal came closer to him. "Dude, this is Carlos," she said, "Carlos, this—"

"Get that thing away from me!" Carlos yelled when Mal was about three feet away from him. His eyes were fixated on the dog, who seemed to be enthusiastic to meet a new person and smell a scent he hadn't smelled before. He was breathing faster than usual, but didn't really notice it.

"There," Mal said, looking at one of her friends, "That's what I was waiting for. That exact face."

"This is not funny, Mal," Carlos said, not looking away from Dude, "I thought you were too old to play games."

"This is not a game," Mal said. Carlos turned his head and saw her smile had disappeared. She meant business. "I just want you to get to know Dude. I'm just wondering if you're going to change your beliefs."

Carlos shook his head. "Fat chance."

Mal shrugged. "I can always try. Here you go," she added as she placed Dude on the ground. Carlos was getting more anxious with every passing minute.

"What are you doing?" Carlos asked her.

"Well, you can't properly meet when I'm holding him," she said. Carlos glared at her. There had been times when he was glad they were friends, there had been times he regretted spending time with her. Today was one of those times where he downright hated her for the situations she placed him into.

"Get that beast out of here," he said coldly, as to mask his fear. Mal looked at him.

"He's not a beast," she defended Dude," He's just a dog." _Just a dog?_ Carlos thought. Well, there had been more of those who turned out to be beasts, little monsters who liked to kill.

"Just get rid of it," he said, "I'll do whatever you want, I'll tell you what you wanna know. I'll do anything." Mal folded her arms. The way he looked at the dog, the way he reacted… it just proved what she and some others already knew.

"So, it is true, then," she said.

"What's true?" Carlos asked her, a little confused about that sentence.

"You don't kill dogs for fun, but you're afraid of them," she said. His eyes widened, and this reaction proved it was true. "I'm not really surprised – if I had to hear your mother's stories daily, I'd be terrified, too."

Carlos leaned closer to Mal, though not too close – the dog was still around, "I'm not terrified." He said. Over the years, he'd mastered the act of lying, like everyone else who grew up as a villain.

Mal nodded. "Okay," she said, "Then you don't mind me leaving…" she walked to the door, slowly, and only when she touched the doorknob, Carlos stopped her.

"Mal!" she turned back to him, "If you're going to go, take that thing with you. Do you really want me to take care of him?"

"How?" she asked him, knowing well what Carlos meant with those words, "You have no weapons. Nothing in this room is lethal for him. Good luck!" she added before leaving him all alone in the room with Dude.

"Mal!" Carlos yelled as Mal pulled the door closed behind her, "You can't leave it here! Mal?!" He didn't yell her name again, knowing she wouldn't come back in for a long time.

Then, he looked from the door at the creature Mal had left behind. The dog looks at him with a titled head. Carlos shakes his head.

"You're lucky I'm not armed," he said. If so, the dog would already be dead. He did not take his eyes off of it. At one point, the dog would realize Carlos was unarmed and it would take its chance. It would do what it would always do: kill. Carlos was not ready to die, but accepted it. It would've come anyway, maybe fifty or sixty years from now, but it would have happened eventually. Oh, the irony! One of the beasts he had been hunting for a long time would kill him. Was there ever any other way?

But the dog didn't do anything else than sniff at Carlos' feet. The dog stayed close, but not too close. He was looking at the boy expectantly, waiting for something to happen.

"You're not gonna kill me?" Carlos asked him. The dog, off course, didn't answer, but to Carlos it was obvious this dog had chosen not to kill. He leaned closer to it, stepping over his fear. It could be a trick, though. To play nice and then bite his face off. But the dog only came closer.

"You're not that bad, are you?" the harsh tone of his voice had disappeared. He would've tried to caress Dude, if his hands weren't tied up to the chair. Even without that small motion, he had just expanded his horizon and opened up his mind.

No, he changed his mind. Nothing more, nothing less. Dogs are not vicious killers. Okay, some could be, but definitely not all of them. There were some dogs, like Dude, who weren't evil at all. They were sweet, kind and enthusiastic. _Dogs are not evil at all,_ he thought.

 _Mother is wrong,_ he added, an expression of realization on his face. All those stories his mother had told him suddenly lost all the value she had tried to give them. The point she tried to get across with those stories was no longer one her son believes. Cruella De Vil's stories were only meant to make sure her son would hate and fear dogs, so he could hunt them down and make beautiful garments out of them.

Carlos realized Cruella'd gotten what she wanted. A son who killed innocent dogs just so she could make fashionable clothes. He had fallen for her lies. And if she lied about dogs, what else did she lie about? Could she be lying about other things, too? Yes, probably. He remembered the questions he used to ask her as a kid, and questioned all of those answers now.

Yes, just do it. They don't deserve any better!

Don't worry, I'll make some for you, too.

It's only termporary, my dear. I can't seem to find a good butler, but I promise you won't have to do this anymore when I've found the perfect servant.

Yes, of course I love you more than my clothes. Why would you ask such a silly question?

 _Because you have always lied to me. Because I was stupid enough to believe that._

And that attitude shaped him into the person he is. It made sure he was able to build a bomb, which eventually had killed Henry. He had taken an actual life. One single tear rolled down his cheek and fell onto the ground. The dog looked at him, as if he understood what Carlos was going through.

Not much later, Mal stepped back inside. She had expected a lot, but never had she thought to find Carlos sitting in the chair, bowing his head and looking so defeated.

"Carlos?" Mal asked carefully. Carlos lifted his head. He had red eyes and there were tear stains on his cheeks.

"I'm sorry," he said, "For everything. I am so, so sorry." She took a step closer in his direction.

"Are you apologizing?" she wondered out loud. Carlos nodded.

"For everything," he repeated, "For a lot of innocent dogs. For that bomb. For Henry. I'm a killer."

"Yes," Mal said, more so because she was glad Carlos had confessed right now. "But you're much more than that. You're better than that," she added. Carlos nodded in agreement.

"Right," he said, "I'm the Hunter. I'm the murderer of dogs, only because mother wanted more stupid coats." She wanted to tell him not to beat himself up for everything his mother made him do. She wanted to tell him it was only his doing, and that his mother was just the bad example. But she couldn't. Maleficent had pushed Mal in the wrong direction, but Cruella held his hand for as long as possible and still influenced him after he'd let go.

"And?" he continued, looking directly at her. "Do you have what you wanted? Have you reached your goal? Are you going to let me go? Or will you kill me?"

"We won't kill you," Mal told him. Carlos shook his head.

"Are you sure about that?" he asked her and Mal nodded. He knew it couldn't be a guarantee. It never was a guarantee.

"Ben's gathering the council," she said, "They'll decide over your fate." Just like they decided over mine, she added in thoughts. If they had given her a chance, they sure would do the same for Carlos.

"What are the options?" Carlos asked.

"You can be set free, outside the camp. You can stay under strict conditions. You can die."

"I bet they're gonna kill me," Carlos said.

"Not if I have something to say," Mal said resolutely, looking rather determined. Carlos tilted his head.

"Do you?" he asked, "Two months isn't enough to join anyone's council."

Mal shrugged. "I can always try to convince them." Again, silence fell, but this time it wasn't an uncomfortable one. This time, neither of them knew what to say to the other in this situation. Then, Ben called out for Mal. Both turned their heads to the door. Mal looked back at Carlos.

"Is there anything you want me to tell them?" she asked him. He nodded.

"Tell them I'll never kill again," he said, "Not people, not animals. Never. I may not be an ally nor a friend, but I will no longer kill. I will no longer be cruel to animals and people alike. That's a promise."

Mal nodded. "I'll tell them."

"Thanks." Carlos sighed in relief. Mal then left him all alone again, though he still had Dude to keep him company. To think one little dog could make him completely change his mind. The minutes slowly ticked away and each second seemed to take an eternity. He tried to pass his time talking to the dog, counted all planks and tried to hear what was going on. Mal and Ben were talking to each other, though he couldn't really hear it through the thick door. Something had to be going on and since there wasn't anything else to do, he listened to what they were saying. It was to no use – he could not understand a word they said.

Eventually, after a long time – too long, according to Carlos – Mal came back inside the room. Carlos leaned closer to her.

"And?" Carlos asked, "What did they say?"

"They didn't say anything," Mal said. Carlos frowned and before Mal could expllain, Carlos asked the question.

"Why not?"

"There weren't enough available council members to vote, so Ben had to decide all by himself." He looked at her for a while, then hung his head, sighing heavily. He then looked back at Mal with a sad smile on his face.

"You were a great friend, Mal. I totally accept my fate," he said. Mal crossed her arms.

"He's not gonna kill you," she told him. He frowned again, this time in confusion.

"He's not?" Mal shook her head.

"No," she said, "You're allowed to stay, under strict conditions." Carlos sighed again, this time in relief. Then, he looked back at Mal.

"Meaning…?" he asked her, wondering what those conditions were.

"You have a guide – that's me. It means I cannot let you get out of my sight for a month. If you behave well, you'll be rid of me in a month and then you'll be a full-fledged member." Carlos nodded. He liked that. He'd just wanted to stay alive and leave – no, not leave. He thought he wanted to leave. He needed the time to think about going back to his mother or not. A month would do.

"Great!" he said, "When do we start?"

"Right now," Ben said. He was standing in the doorway, looking inside. Mal untied Carlos, who was very glad to be able to choose how to sit. Dude took his chance and ran out of the room, back to outside. Ben did manage to caress him once before the dog could run away. Carlos rubbed his wrists when the ropes there were loosened. It had hurt more there than anywhere else.

"Welcome to the alliance," Ben told him.


	17. Set it off

**Has it been a month already? Okay, I was a bit busy to write some Halloween chapters and for some reason, this one just wouldn't work until this moment. Either way, here's a delayed Halloween chapter (even if it may not have anything to do with Halloween). Anyway, after this chapter, there still are five more to go. But first, here are my responses to your reviews:**

 _FreeSpirit140:_ _Thanks for reviewing! Of course I haven't killed Carlos. Though there's still a possibility he dies. Everyone can always die at any given moment._

 _nerdycook24:_ _No, Carlos isn't dead (yet). He's staying there until he's made his choice between going back home or leaving home. Thanks for reviewing!_

 _PurpleNicole531:_ _Thanks for reviewing! Well, it was actually Dude who did all the work, but Mal sure played a part. We'll see if the two show up together again._

 _Kingson24601:_ _I knew I needed to keep that scene in this story, otherwise Carlos would've probably stayed evil. It is a fun scene. Thanks for reviewing!_

 _CaptainMansBabyGirl:_ _Thanks for reviewing! Here's the next chapter._

 **Enjoy!**

 **-Writer207**

* * *

"C'mon." Mal led Carlos out of the cabin. Ben had left earlier – he didn't have a lot of free time as a leader. Mal had talked a bit with Carlos, until Carlos asked her whether they could go outside. She agreed to it.

They blinked their eyes when they stepped into the sun onto the grass. When their eyes had adjusted to the sunlight, Carlos started looking around, at the idyllic location. He too recognized the place almost immediately.

"Neverland…" he said, nodding approvingly, "So that's why we couldn't find you."

Mal shook her head. "This is actually where we go when there's danger," she said. Carlos turned his head to her. "Mother destroyed our first base." Carlos nodded. He could only imagine what had happened, and whatever he thought had happened was nothing compared to what had happened on the mainland.

"Wait, does Hook know about this?" he asked her and Mal shook her head.

"No, he doesn't. Fortunately." Carlos looked around, this time at the people present in this camp. He tried to memorize the faces from the very beginning, so he could identify them when the time was right and when he had made his choice. There was only one face he recognized.

"How many villains are there around here?" Carlos asked her. "You, me, Hadrian…" he looked at the son of Hades. "Are there any others? Mal shook her head and didn't respond verbally. She now spotted Hadrian as well, sitting under one of the many trees. She couldn't shake the image of Hadrian standing in front of the infirmary, and going away just when Mal spotted him there. That and Hadrian's special gift prompted her to walk straight towards him.

Carlos looked at her confused, walking behind her. "Mal? What are you… Mal!" He couldn't do anything but go after her while she went ahead to Hadrian. The demigod didn't run away this time – it seemed he was waiting for them this time. Not much later, they had reached him.

"Hadrian, did you know Henry was going to die?" she asked him. Hadrian nodded.

"I know when everyone here dies," he said. Mal was not happy with that answer, but she stayed calm.

"Did you know he would die yesterday?" she said, rephrasing her first question in a calmer, but more dangerous tone.

"Yes."

"Why didn't you…" Mal began, but she stopped herself. Hadrian just kept looking at her with indifference. "You could've told us," she eventually continued, "You could've saved him!"

Hadrian leaned closer to them, no longer leaning against the trunk of the tree. He looked them directly in the eyes and other than the indifference, they could now see that the look in his eyes has changed.

"That's where you're wrong," he said. "I can't save people."

"Henry could've stayed behind," Mal said. Carlos thought she sounded a bit eviler than she had in the cabin while talking to Cruella's son. This was a hint to shut up, to choose the next words carefully.

"And he would've died anyway," Hadrian told her. He stood up so he would be at the same eye-height of Mal. "Look, I've told people before. I warned families of tragedies, told them they'd die. They were always so grateful when I warned them. They all perished on the day they were supposed to die. They always die. There is nothing I could've done to help your friend." After he said that, he took a step back. For a while, nobody dared to say anything.

"What about us?" Mal asked him. "What about the people here?" Hadrian looked around at the crowd on the improvised camp square before looking back at Mal.

"Most are fine," he said, "But there is a considerable amount of people who will be dead by the end of the month." He paused, deciding whether or not he would continue to talk. Eventually, he decided to say it anyway. "If you need anyone on a mission, I volunteer. I don't have much long anyway."

Mal first frowned when he said that – there was no reason for him to say it. Then she began to realize what he was talking about. Her eyes widened and Carlos raised an eyebrow.

"I'm so sorry," she said. Hadrian shook his head.

"Don't be." He said it as if he was going to add 'you'll only embarrass yourself'.

"Can you prevent it?" Carlos then asked him. Maybe the rules were different for Hades' children. But Hadrian just shrugged.

"Like I said before, we don't escape death," he said, "By the way, what's the point? I'd have to reunite with father at some point in my life. His children generally don't live too long, anyway."

"That sucks," Carlos said. That was the most positive he could say about the matter. Nobody ever taught him what to say to people who knew they were going to die. All he was taught, was to stay away from them to prevent the forming of emotional attachments.

"Are you sure—" Mal began, but she couldn't even finish her sentence. Hadrian wouldn't let her.

"Yes, Mal, there is nothing I can do," he said, "It's impossible to cheat death, and my father continues to reap souls for the Styx. Mine will soon be added to it." He waited for any reaction, but there came none. After ten seconds of silence, he decided he didn't want to stay here any longer and walked away. Carlos and Mal stayed under the tree, thinking about what the son of Hades had told them.

They didn't get a lot of time to think about it, though. Not much after the demigod walked away, they were distracted by a problem that had to be resolved quickly.

"Mal!" a young voice shouted. Carlos and Mal turned their heads and watched a rather familiar boy ran to them.

"Hiroki!" Mal said when she recognized the young man, mostly for Carlos's benefit. He did not know anyone except Hadrian, and now he knew how this boy was called.

"Ben asks for you," Hiroki said, pointing at the group of cabins to the west of the field. Mal nodded at him.

"Let's go then," she said. Hiroki had walked off and Carlos and Mal left the tree, walking to the cabins. On their way there, they passed some members going in the opposite direction. The stares came back, maybe there were now even more than before. They were mostly staring at Carlos – they had gotten used to Mal after this month. But Carlos was new and him walking besides Mal did raise some questions and inevitably made people stare. But they didn't care about the stares and soon walked into Ben's cabin.

It was a simple wooden construction with two rooms. The room they had just walked into was his office – a door in the left wall would lead to his bedroom. Ben was sitting behind his desk, doing some paperwork. He looked up when Carlos and Mal walked into the cabin.

"Hey," Mal greeted the alliance leader. For the first time since they met, he did not greet her back. Mal frowned. "Is there something wrong?" she then asked him. He stood up from the chair, nodding, a serious expression on his face.

"I've been thinking about those creatures," he said.

"Me too," Mal admitted. It was hard not to think about them. They had only attacked a few days ago, which meant the memory was still fresh in their minds. Mal walked closer to him while Carlos preferred to stay at the door.

"They can show up again," Ben said, "Not just here, but also in all of Auradon. Maleficent can use them against everyone. There's no telling where she will strike next, and who she will hurt. Someone has to stop her before she can hurt anyone else." Mal was now only a couple of feet away from Ben.

"Are you going to do what I think you're going to do?" she asked him. He just shrugged.

"The council has gathered and talked about the problem. Even with my vote, their decision doesn't change. We'll have to stop Maleficent."

Mal gulped inaudibly while Ben looked at her, almost as if he's asking her to forgive him for what they might have to do. Carlos snorted.

"If you want to die, be my guest," he said. Ben turned his head to Cruella's son.

"I'm not going to die," Ben said, determined to live past a possible attack "Not unless we plan this right."

"You really want to die, don't you?" Carlos said. He walked closer to Mal and Ben. "You just don't attack Maleficent. That's the best chance you and everyone here has for survival." He pointed at the door when he mentioned 'everyone'. Then, he started to realize something. He didn't leave room for Mal or Ben to say anything. "Or maybe… yes, please do attack Maleficent. There'll be less of you at last."

"Carlos!" Mal said, shocked by that last comment, even if she could've seen it coming.

"What?" Carlos said, folding his arms, "Give me a month and I'm gone. I dislike mother, but don't think I'm a goody two-shoes now. As far as I'm concerned, I'm still evil."

"It might change," Mal said. She too had been convincingly evil when she came here and only pretended to want to be good. After that month, she was a good person. Since she's always considered Carlos less evil than her (she didn't think about the killing machine his mother made him me) he might switch sides sooner than he realized.

"Says who?" he said.

"Says me," Mal replied.

"Guys," Ben said, effectively interrupting the small fight between the two friends. "This really isn't the time for bickering." Carlos took a step away and glared at Mal. Mal didn't notice it or pretended not to see it. She focused back on Ben.

"Okay," she said, "What is the plan?"

"We call everyone to arms," he explained, "We broadcast a message to the world, tell them about our plans. They can join in if they want."

"Let me get this straight," Carlos then said, sounding a bit skeptical. "Your plan is to ask civilians to die for you?" Ben nodded, to which Carlos nodded approvingly. 'Why didn't I think of that?"

Ben sighed – he started to doubt about the decision he had made earlier today. "You don't understand what I'm—"

"Then explain," Carlos said, interrupting him. "What do you want to do? How will you do it?"

Ben looked at him and then turned his face to Mal. She encouraged him to tell them, however skeptical Carlos may be. Ben turned back to Carlos and started to explain the plan he made with the council.

"Not everyone in the alliance lives with us," he began, "Most people prefer to live where they've lived all of their lives, in anonymity. Some rather live in peace, some try to help wherever they can. There are few who lost their lives because they helped and supported us. I'll contact those people and ask them to help us." This plan was met with a bit of silence, which was eventually broken.

"Do you think it'll work?" Mal asked him. Ben turned to her.

"I don't know," he honestly admitted, "But I can always try."

"How are you going to do that?" Carlos asked.

"Follow me," Ben said. Mal and Carlos followed him out of the cabin, straight to one of the neighboring cabins. In the meantime, Ben told the two what he was planning to do now. "We have established a radio channel. It will broadcast a message to those people."

"What if someone else is listening?" Mal asked him, "Like, a villain?" Ben shrugged in response before walking into the third cabin on the right. He opened the door and walked inside. He has been in there once before, on the tour, but for Mal and Carlos it was their first time.

All they saw was one big room filled with equipment Mal was unfamiliar with. The only things she could recognize were the microphone, headphones and the radio near the door. Carlos, on the other hand, knew what every single thing was meant to do and so, he immediately knew what this cabin was for: broadcasting. But the equipment wasn't that good. The parts that weren't outdated, were already rusting with a small layer of dust on top of it.

"Wow," Carlos said, sarcastically, "This is…" he couldn't even find the right word to describe this cabin.

"It's not much, but it's all we need," Ben said, "It's never been used." He let his finger go over a piece of equipment, picking up a lot of dust with that one finger.

"There's a first for everything," Mal said while Ben walked to the microphone and sat down in the chair at the table. Before he put the headphones on, he looked at the two newcomers again.

"When I'm recording the message, you'll have to be quiet. I don't know just how much the microphone will record." Mal nodded. She would be quiet and hoped Carlos would be quiet as well. Ben put on the headphones and then flicked a switch of the machine on his left. The microphone recorded every word he spoke. He sounded a bit nervous, but could hide it from the third sentence onward. And in the meantime, Carlos and Mal listened quietly to the words he chose to convince the people to pick up their weapons and fight.

"People of Auradon, members of the alliance. This is the leader speaking. Since the foundation of this organization, we have never asked for anything. Today, the day has come that we will ask you to do something.

Maleficent has created monsters with dark magic. These beasts have destroyed one of our camps and they have killed those who stood in the way of their destruction. Maleficent could at any given time decide to use these to try and conquer all of Auradon. She will bring destruction and death throughout the realm until nothing stands but her monsters and those who are loyal to her.

What I want to ask you today is to come to the field opposite of Maleficent's castle. We will meet each other there three days after this message was first broadcast, where I will be waiting for you. We will confront Maleficent and her monsters and will try to stop her before she can decide to use her creations to conquer Maleficent. Do not feel obligated to come – the choice is yours. I hope you make the choice which you deem as the right one."

Then, Ben flicked the switch again and he sighed in relief, glad it was over. He walked back to them, looking particularly at Carlos.

"Are you good with tech?" he asked Cruella's son, who scoffed.

"Do you even have to ask?" Carlos said arrogantly. Ben took that as a yes. He pointed at the machinery.

"Can you put the message on loop?" he asked. There was no shame in asking for help. Carlos folded his arms.

"I sure can," he said. But that's all he did. He spoke and stood still.

"Will you do that, please?" Ben then asked him. Carlos nodded.

"Fine," he said, sounding a bit irritated. Maybe he'd rather not help them, but he would not let a chance to brag or look better than someone else slide. After pressing a few buttons and flicking some switches, he walked back to the two. "There," he said, "Now your target audience can listen to your message."

Then, he took his phone out of his pocket and quickly started texting someone. It had to be: with how fast he tapped the screen, he had to be texting. Ben looked at the device with great interest. The only types they could use were older models, those who couldn't be tracked down by the villains. Those older models were usually stolen by members when the alliance was in dire need of communication devices.

"What are you…" Mal began until she realized what Carlos was doing. "Are you texting?"

"No," he said sarcastically, "I'm writing a love letter."

"Carlos…" Mal then said, not asking him who he was texting. He would tell them eventually. Carlos sighed.

"If you'd like to know, I'm texting Jay." Mal then went to stand behind him and looked at the screen. Everyone still had the right to have privacy, but she was too curious. She needed to know whether Carlos was telling Jay where they were or not. So far, he was not.

"Why?" Ben asked him. While Carlos responded, he did not look up.

"Because you want to fight Maleficent," he said, continuously typing the message, "I'm saying it will be better to keep our friends by our side. You know, in case you'll have to bargain your way out of an upcoming war. If so, I'd rather have more hostages than just me. Mother doesn't care as much as you'd think. But the Evil Queen would do everything to get her little princess back, even if it means going against Maleficent. Same goes for Jafar." Mal and Ben exchanged glances. Ben was surprised, as was Mal. Though Mal had not seen this coming.

"That's quite clever," Ben then said. "Are you on our side now?"

Carlos shook his head. "I'm complicated," he said, "My faith in what I've always believed in has been shaken not an hour ago. I'm trying to find my way." Not much after he had said that, he was done typing his message.

"What did you write?" Ben then asked him. Before Mal could answer the question, Carlos answered it for her with a bit of pride.

"I told him I've got the wand and that wanted to give them a chance to submit to me and swear loyalty before I start a conquest. Jay will definitely want to come to try and take it away from me. And wherever he goes, Evie follows." Ben nodded. That was quite a smart way to attract Jay's attention. Still, they still doubted.

"What if they won't come?" Mal then asked him. Even if there was a big chance Jay would show up, there always was a small chance they wouldn't do anything but stay away.

"C'mon, Mal," Carlos said, "You know they will. There's one common trait we all share: we all want power." Right when he was talking, the phone buzzed. Carlos had received a text, one from Jay. Before either Mal or Ben could ask him what Jay had written him, Carlos already answered that question.

"He asks where and when I'll be meeting them," he said. then, he looked at Mal. "Told you he'd want to come."

Mal nodded. Ben gave Carlos instructions as to where they could best meet up with the two villain kids. "Tomorrow, in our first base," he said, "We know the way around, which will be to our advantage."

"In other words," Carlos said, "they can't get away that easily if they wanted to." Ben nodded. He wasn't proud of taking hostages, but it was a necessity. Carlos started typing the message and soon sent it.

"There," Carlos then said, "You're welcome."


	18. Reunion

**Has it been a month already? To be honest, I was having a bit of a writer's block for this chapter (and doing things for college) and so this chapter has arrived after a month and a half. On the bright side, I got it finished just before Christmas and it's a bit longer than usual, too. Merry Christmas everyone! I hope you enjoy this chapter. But befoe that, here are my replies to your reviews:**

 _CaptainMansBabyGirl:_ _Here's the next chapter._

 _Katymint:_ _I am glad you like it. I hope I can please you with the chapters that are left of this story. Thanks for reviewing!_

 _PurpleNicole531:_ _Thanks for reviewing! Yeah, that's pretty much what'll happen. We'll just have to wait for their reactions and what'll happen once they've walked into the trap. Hadrian's just a pessimist and quite niilistic, too. We'll see what happens to them when they go into combat. Some characters we've met/passed by are on the list, though not all. It'd be sad if this story ended with Maleficent winning, isn't it?_

 **Enjoy!**

 **-Writer207**

* * *

The next day, Philip dropped Mal and Carlos of at the first base, wishing them good luck. he wouldn't stay – Mal would call him and some others when the deed was done. They didn't want the daughter of Grimhilde and the son of Jafar to suspect anything. So, for the moment, Mal and Carlos walked to the center of the first base on their own.

For mal, it was a callback to the time she had spent in this camp before its buildings and its inhabitants were destroyed and slaughtered. This place had a high value for her, since this was where she started to realize she didn't have to be evil to feel good about things. There was just one downside to returning to this place: seeing the ruins brought back the memories of those terrible beasts, sent by Maleficent to spread chaos and to kill.

For Carlos, it was the very first time he walked on this ground. To him, this was an impressive sight, and he could only imagine what it could've been like before the inhabitants left and before the camp was destroyed. "Wow," he said, looking around, "What did this?"

"My mother," Mal answered, "She let the monsters in the dungeon loose here." Carlos nodded, looking around at the place. Mal didn't describe the beasts for him – Carlos had always been the person to see before believing in it. these ruins were the proof something had happened, and Maleficent couldn't have done this on her own with so many deceased.

After a fairly short walk, the two arrived at the scene where it would happen. It was once the Camp Square, used for many activities such as outdoor lunch (if the weather allowed it) and magic lessons. This was the most central point of this base, which is where Carlos told Evie and Jay to go to. He chose a spot to stand, central in the Square, not too close to any of the destroyed buildings.

Carlos folded his arms and he and Mal started waiting for Evie and Jay to arrive. At one point, he looked at Mal. "Don't you have to hide?"

"Not yet," Mal said. this has been a subject of discussion. Carlos wanted her to hide from the beginning, Mal wanted to stay next to him if his attempt to make them believe him failed. They'd sooner believe Mal, anyway.

"Hey," Carlos said, "All I'm saying is that they expect just me, not you and me. You can strike from somewhere else, but not from next to me. They'll see it coming." Mal sighed. Carlos had a point. Eventually, she could agree with him.

"Fine," she said, "If you need me, I'm over there." Mal walked to the side, to the nearest ruins. From this position, she could clearly see Carlos, but had no idea whether she could see Evie and Jay when they arrived.

They had to wait ten minutes before Jay and Evie showed up. Carlos saw them arrive sooner than Mal could, since her view was blocked by some ruins. Carlos took a deep breath, ready to talk arrogantly at the two visitors. None of them realized the four of them were finally back together after so long.

Evie and Jay stopped walking when they were about eight yards away from them, just outside of Mal's sight. She leaned a bit to the right, giving her perfect view of the situation, but with risk to be spotted by the two visitors.

"Evie, Jay," Carlos said – he looked primarily at Evie, "So you came after all."

"Of course we did," Jay said, "I have to admit, you did quite well." He added a smile to it. The others knew Jay wasn't being completely honest. Out of everything he could say, he'd never smile like that when he is telling the truth for a change. Mal decided to wait to trap the two. The sooner the better, of course, but still she waited. She was curious how Carlos would handle the situation.

Carlos shrugged. "I just did something neither of you could ever think of," he said. When he was finished talking, he smiled evilly at them. "So, are you ready to swear loyalty to me?" For a split second, Mal thought Carlos was going to betray her. He never would try to become a good person – at least, not for this moment – and had only stayed because he needed a place to stay while he was going through some sort of existential crisis.

"Did you do this?" Evie asked him, looking around in amazement and fascination. Mal had to duck away to avoid being seen. Carlos did not answer her question, he just repeated his own.

"First you show me the wand," Jay said, "and then we'll talk." But Carlos shook his head.

"I'm not stupid," he said, folding his arms, "I haven't brought it."

"So you don't have it, then?" Jay asked him. He was trying to provoke Carlos, to make him show it, to prove it was worth coming down here for. Carlos shot an annoyed look at the two.

"I do have it," he said, "I just didn't think it would be wise to bring it here. Knowing you two, Evie would distract me while you'd take it from me. I won't let that happen."

"I knew it," Jay then said as a response to the news, "this was a waste of time." He turned around, ready to walk away from the boy. Mal was faster than him, though – she cast the spell quickly, effectively trapping them in a force field dome, the same spell she used to prevent her mother from finding the wand.

At first, Evie and Jay had no idea what was going on, taken aback by the sudden action. Mal came out of her hiding spot and once the two saw her, they tried to understand what her motives were. She noticed their positions inside their nearly invisible cage – inside any cage – reflected their personality well. Evie stood at the side, hoping to be released by the next guy who'd come across her. Jay stood in the middle, waiting for a chance to force his way out and not losing any energy in the process.

"What are you doing?" Evie asked her when Mal had walked closed to them.

"I'm sorry," Mal said, "but I can't let you leave."

Jay shook his head disapprovingly. "Tell me this is just to make the resistance believe you're with them." Mal looked at Carlos, who shrugged at her. She then looked back at Jay, giving him no answer. Jay huffed. "I can't believe it… the daughter of Maleficent, actually good."

"We are not our parents," Mal said. They have lived with their parents all their lives, with evil being part of their education from day one in the hopes of having an heir to continue the evil family name. they should have the choice to stay with them, should be able to choose between good and evil. It was something Mal broke away from, something Henry broke away from on his own, something Carlos is struggling to break away from.

Jay scoffed. "Yeah, you're obviously not," he said, then turned his head to Carlos. "Hey, Carlos? Can I still rely on you?"

Carlos shrugged. "It's complicated," he said, "All I know is that I'm not going back to mom."

Jay looked around, saw each face – Carlos, Evie, Mal. So long ago, when he came back from the Southern Isles, he had never thought he'd ever be in this particular situation. He never thought he'd be Mal's prisoner. He did expect that Carlos would just stand and watch and that Evie would stand by his own side, facing Carlos and Mal together.

"So that's it," Jay said, "One stupid plan tears us apart. I never thought _you_ 'd be the one to be good one day." Mal nodded in agreement. Jay didn't see it, however – he turned his back to the group and folded his arms, still listening to the conversation.

"Me neither," she admitted. If you told her two months ago she'd be a good guy, working against her mother, she would've laughed and spat in the face of whoever dared to suggest she'd be opposing her mother with the alliance.

"How does it feel like?" Evie asked her, "Becoming good?" There was no animosity in her voice – she just wanted to know where it went wrong with her best friend.

"You don't notice it until it's too late," Mal responded, even though she has a dual feeling about it. Goodness came slowly, carefully creeping inside until you were a good person – yet, goodness also hit you hard and unexpectedly. She had the best experience with the first choice, so that's what she told Evie.

"What was it?" the Princess then asked her, "What made the difference? Sympathy? Empathy? Love?" Mal nodded in response, not willing to give any specific answers. The three definitely played a big role, the one bigger than the other. Yet, she still froze slightly when Evie mentioned 'love'. It reminded her of what happened to Henry, especially since Evie said it. she could not keep that a secret. Evie had to know what happened to her fiancé.

"Evie, there's something we have to tell you," she said. in the corner of her eye, she saw how nervous, how tense he became. She knew he'd rather not have her say what had happened. He didn't want the truth to be out there, he didn't want Evie to hate him, no matter how much she emotionally hurt him in the past.

"We found Henry," he blurted out before Mal could give her own twist to it. Evie's eyes lit up when she heard this great news.

"Where?" she asked then at the moment, Jay turned around as well. Finally Evie's pen-pal had been found, so he was interested to know where he's been.

"At the alliance," Mal told her, "He ran away from home to join it. he wanted to be good, not evil."

Evie seemed a bit disappointed, though not too much. "Really?" she said. Mal nodded in confirmation. Before she could further explain herself, Carlos spoke again.

"He's dead."

Evie's hope was destroyed as easily as it came, replaced by despair and sadness. Jay raised an eyebrow when he noticed how she reacted.

"What?' she said, taking a few steps away from them. She could barely believe her ears, didn't want to believe them. And Jay was surprised – she never was sad when one of the "victims" she'd made fall in love with her died.

"He died," Mal said – she'd wanted to bring the news softly, to ease her into it. Carlos blurting it out doesn't really help her achieve that. "It happened a few days ago. He didn't suffer – it was peaceful." Evie placed a hand at her mouth and sank through her knees, starting to sob and cry. Mal came closer to the force field and placed her hand on it, wishing she could get closer. Yet, she couldn't lift the force field – Jay would run away – but she did want to be there, she did want to comfort her. Jay definitely wasn't making any real attempts. He just walked up to her, stood beside her and placed a hand on her shoulder.

Mal turned her head to Carlos and saw he looked at her, grateful for not telling her his bomb killed Henry. Mal nodded at him. Evie didn't have to know Carlos killed her fiancé. In the other scenario, if Carlos hadn't built a bomb, Henry would've died because of Evie's poison – it would have made her the murderess, something she couldn't bear to hear either.

Eventually, Evie moved again. She took the magic mirror in her hand and spoke to it, asked it something Carlos and Mal couldn't quite hear. Not much later, they could hear a voice coming out of the mirror. Mal froze – it was Henry's voice.

"Good luck," he said. Mal remembered those words – that's the last he told her. it was quiet for some time, but Henry wasn't finished there. No, because apparently, he had been talking to himself during his final moments.

"Here I am, then," Henry said, "dying. Why am I even talking? Nobody'll hear me." He took a deep breath. "Hey Evie. It's me. I'm a dead man. I can't ever see you again, neither will you see me. No, don't cry. Your face is too beautiful for tears." Evie smiled briefly – even post mortem, he managed to make her smile.

"I just wanted you to know that, if you ever hear this, I chose this. I chose to be a good person. Nobody forced me. It's okay, it's fine. I wanted this, not what my father wanted for me. I'm dying on my own terms and that's okay."

There was a short pause, causing the four to think Henry was done talking. Yet, there was more, and Henry spoke. "Now, listen carefully," he continued, "Run like hell, because you always need to. Laugh at everything, because it's always funny. Never be cruel and never be cowardly. And if you ever are, always make amends. Never play damsel when you can be the hero. Never be evil when your heart tells you to be good. I know you – you'll remember this. I have to go now," His voice cracked as he spoke the following words. "Goodbye. I love you."

Silence fell. Henry had nothing more to say to her. Carlos and Mal waited for any other sound to come out, like the explosion. Fortunately, the mirror stopped broadcasting Henry's last words when he was done talking. They didn't have to explain why they could hear an explosion.

"I'm sorry, Evie," Mal said. Evie stood up and walked up to the force field and leaned on it when she reached it. Mal placed her hand where Evie's was on the other side. Carlos finally decided to walk a bit closer, coming towards them.

"Me too. I truly am," he said, speaking sincere words. He sighed. "It looks like you'll have to find a new fiancé." Mal glared at him in the way Evie could not at this moment – you don't make comments like that in this kind of situation! – and Carlos backed away from them. He had not yet forgotten what had happened the last time she glared at him like that.

Evie continued mourning, though there weren't a lot of tears anymore. Carlos stayed away and kept his mouth shut. Mal stayed close to Evie to comfort her. Jay just watched her, feeling confusion, shock and, above all, betrayal.

"Fiancé?" he eventually said, "What are you talking about?" Carlos and Mal exchanged looks as Evie turned her head to Jay, unable to explain it at that moment. she hasn't told him yet… the two thought.

"Oh no," Jay said when they all stayed silent, "I'm not gonna let this slide. Evie, you were getting married?"

Evie nodded, taking a deep breath. "It was arranged," she said, "We'd marry the next time he visited."

"But he never came back," Jay said. His voice turned colder, less friendly than the tone he usually used to talk to them. "no, he ran away. And while you waited for him to show up, you thought it'd be fun to mess with me." He looked at her with abhorrence.

"No," Evie said, "That was never my intention."

"Don't lie," he said, "I've seen you do it many times before. When were you going to tell me? On your wedding day?" Evie didn't answer – instead, she looked at the ground. Jay sighed and rolled his eyes. "You know, I always believed we'd stick together, no matter what happened. You and my against the world." Jay adopted one of his usual postures, hiding his sadness behind furiousness.

"That can still happen," Evie said, taking a step in his direction. "Jay—"

"No," he said, taking a bigger step away from her. "No, you stay back!"

Evie looked at him, confused. "What?"

"You stay back!" Jay repeated, "Do you really think you can fall into my arms, cry your heart out and that I'll forgive you?" He said it with such tactlessness, so sharp-tongued, so unscrupulously he surprised the three others. They knew he could talk like that, they just never thought he'd use that voice and tone against them.

"I didn't want to marry," Evie shouted at him, losing her cool for a second.

"Yeah?" Jay said, "Well, it looks like you cared about him. That's a first, caring for a boy you've only met once! you never cry like that when the others died, and you've known them longer than him."

"Of course I cared," Evie said, "I'd have to spend the rest of my life with him."

"So you were going to leave us?" Jay said, "Leave me? To go live with him?" Whatever would have happened if they married, Jay believed Evie would have to leave them and go with Henry to the Southern Isles. Maybe that's what would've happened, but they'd never know.

"Not by choice," Evie explained, "I'd come to visit you regularly."

"You mean once or twice a year? It's a long way to the Southern Isles, you can't just come over," Jay said. His voice grew meaner with every phrase, his eyes more furious and his facial expression madder. For the first time since long, the three slowly started to fear he might do something to Evie.

"She couldn't stop it," Mal then said, sticking her neck out for her best friend.

Jay turned his head and pointed at Mal. "You stay out of this, Mal! It's none of your business!"

"C'mon, Jay." He turned his head away from Mal to Carlos, who stood there with folded arms and a shaking head. Jay started shaking his head as well.

"You too?" he said, wondering why Carlos decided to let him down at this moment. He looked at the three – they were all staring at him, wondering what his next move may be. "I see…" he eventually said, "I've been siding with the wrong people all my life. You're all against me."

"We're not," Mal said, "we're really not."

"Show it!" Jay said. "Prove it! Let me out!"

"I can't," Mal said. If Jay got out of there, he could return home and request to see Maleficent. He'd always been the one brave enough to talk to her directly. And if he could talk to Maleficent, he would tell her about Mal's switch from evil to good. Maleficent would hate it so much, she'd torture her daughter into complying, never letting her go somewhere independently again. Mal would be a prisoner, at her mother's mercy – her mother didn't have much mercy anyway?

Jay turned his head to Carlos, saying his name, telling him to let him go. Carlos shook his head.

"Sorry," he said, "Mal controls it. Not me."

Jay didn't look at Evie anymore asking for support. If he ever though to get it, he didn't get it in the way he wanted it. This final act of betrayal – their unwillingness to let him go – drove him mad.

"Traitors!" he yelled, "You should've stayed evil!"

"Well, technically—" Carlos began, but had no chance of finishing what he wanted to say.

"You shut up!" Jay yelled at him.

"Calm down," Mal said, but Jay shook his head.

"I am calm," he shouted, "I've never been calmer in my life."

"Jay…" He didn't turn his head to Evie, but still listened to her. She was trying to reason with him, yet he believed she was trying to wind him around her fingers again. "Please… don't do this?"

He shook his head, turned his head to Evie. He remained in that position for not too long before approaching her with a furious look in his eyes, with clenched fists.

"You cannot influence me any longer, you little—" He didn't stop talking, but none of them paid attention to what he said. they rather focused on Jay punching Evie in her face. She fell back on the ground, her back hitting the force field and her hands at her face. Mal immediately took action and removed the force field dome, giving both Carlos and Mal access to Evie and Jay. Mal tried to help Evie sit straight, but Jay had another idea: he punched Mal in the stomach. She bent over and fell on her knees. When she lifted her head, she could see Jay was running away from them, closely followed by Carlos.

Carlos ran as fast as he could, trying to keep up with Jay. Yet, he was not as used to running as Jay and he didn't have a condition like Jay's. The distance between them grew bigger with every second, with Jay possibly running faster or Carlos running slower. Eventually, Jay turned to the right and once Carlos reached that point, Jay was gone. Carlos slowed down, taking his time to look around, to see whether Jay was hiding somewhere or not. yet, the more he looked around, the more certain he was about losing Jay.

Eventually, Carlos gave up. He did all he could do. Jay was gone, so Evie needed him now. Well, she needed someone to support her, whether it was him or not. He walked back to them and discovered he wasn't too far away from the girls. Sooner than expected, he found Mal sitting next to Evie.

"Where's Jay?" Mal asked him when she saw him come closer. He shrugged.

"I dunno," he said. "Sorry, he got away."

"This is my fault," Evie then said. "We wouldn't be in this mess if I'd told him about Henry."

"Don't blame yourself," Carlos said. "If you want someone to be mad at, be mad at me. I didn't know you hadn't told him yet. And I could've been more tactful." Evie nodded, smiled at the two. At least she knew she could always count on Mal and Carlos, no matter their allegiance.

"You can come with us if you want," Mal eventually said. Evie turned her head to her, looking a bit confused.

"To the resistance?" You could clearly hear the hesitation in her voice. "Won't they keep me as a prisoner?" Mal shrugged – she had no idea how much freedom they'd give her. The plan was to keep her (and Jay) as a prisoner, but how much space would they give her? Was the whole area in Neverland too big for her?

"They're not treating me as a prisoner," Carlos said and Mal nodded in agreement, looking at the boy.

"No since you realized dogs aren't that bad," she said and Evie looked confused at Carlos – if there's one thing she never thought possible, it was Carlos thinking dogs weren't that bad. She decided to ask about it at a later time.

"Anyway…" Mal continued, "If you try not to do anything evil and behave, you can stay with us. I'll have to stick with you for a month before you're free to go."

"Is that how it works?" Evie wondered and Mal nodded.

"Usually," she responded. "They'll probably want me to keep an eye on you. I'm just here because I already have to keep an eye on Carlos." Evie didn't immediately decide whether to take the offer or not, thinking about all possibilities. Eventually, she nodded.

"Okay," she said, "I'll do it."

"Great," Carlos said, "Welcome to the resistance. The more the merrier." He and Mal helped Evie stand and they walked away from the center, away to the place where Philip would pick them up again. They reached the spot within five minutes. They got ready to go back to Neverland and Mal sent Philip the message.

"Will I be good after I leave?" Evie asked her before they would go back. Mal shrugged.

"I really don't know," she said. The second she was done talking, Philip picked them up and they left this place, for good this time.


	19. Confrontation

**I know, it's been four months since my last chapter. Let me explain myself: I had gone through a period of intense studying and exams and then jumped straight into the second semester, which also is an awful lot of work. As a result, I did not have (and still do not have) a lot of time to write and for a brief period of time, I also was stuck writing this chapter, which is a terrible combination.** **So, I apologize it took me so long, but let me get one thing clear: I am not the type of person who abandons a story, and I absolutely hate it when an author decides to just quit without letting anyone know. Anyway, looking at the bright side, I hope to spend less time writing the next chapter and hopefully will have it up at the end of April or the beginning of May. I thank you for your patience and now, here is the long-awaited next chapter. But, as usual, first there are my responses to your reviews**

 _CaptainMansBabyGirl:_ _Here is the next chapter._

 _PurpleNicole531:_ _Yes, hopefully. We'll see if she grows to be a good person, though only time will tell. I'm pretty sure that, when Jay sees them the next time, he's still very pissed at them. Yeah, good always prevails, though it always comes at a cost. I'll try to get next chapter up as soon as possible. Thanks for reviewing!_

 _Jes:_ _Thanks for reviewing! Well, it's here because it's necessary for drama. Maybe there'll be more of it, maybe not._

 **Enjoy! And again, I'm sorry it took so long.**

 **-Writer207**

* * *

Mal, Evie and Carlos arrived back in Neverland. After their small encounter, they had called Philip, who then brought them back to the alliance.

"Thanks," Mal said and Philip nodded.

"You're welcome," he said, "Ben's waiting for in the main cabin." He pointed in the general direction of the cabins in the distance. He then walked off, further away from the cabins. Mal didn't ask what he was going to do, but it sure had to be important. Maybe one day, she'd know what was down there (if something even was down there) but for now, she'd had to go with Evie to Ben.

That was the plan: keep Jay and Evie as leverage for Maleficent should things go wrong in the future. So far, they already had Evie with them. She didn't know about the plan yet, but she didn't have to, either. She stayed out of free will, which made her – according to Mal – more than just a hostage. Maybe, in the future, she could join, too. But that was for the Fates to decides.

As soon as they had arrived, Evie was looking around in wonder. Since Mal and Carlos had been here before, they didn't really pay much attention to the view anymore, though they still appreciated it. But this was the first time Evie walked around in Neverland. She had only heard tales of its beauty, and recognized it immediately.

"Neverland…" she said in wonder.

"Yep," Neverland," Carlos told her. Anticipating any further questions, he then added: "No, Hook doesn't know 'bout this. And this isn't where they stay permanently. That was where we were before."

Evie nodded, thankful for those answers. They began to walk in the directions of the cabins. As they got closer, she became more nervous. _Why should I?_ she thought. After all, she was not only a villainess but also a princess in her own right, Snow White's step sister. Even if Henry's last words clearly had resonated onto her, she was doubting her rash decision. She could've stayed behind, but this was better than having to come anywhere near Jay. _Just lay low_ , she told herself. _Don't stand out and get out of here when you have the chance._

"So," Evie then said, "What's the plan?"

Mal turned her head to Evie. "You'll need to stay here for a while. There may be a situation in which they might threaten to kill you, but you're completely safe. You may not be allowed to go everywhere, but I'll try to keep you out of a cell."

They. She spoke of 'they', not of 'we'. Was Mal trying to downplay her role with the resistance or did she really have no influence here at all?

"Also," she continued, "some of your victims may be walking around here."

Evie nodded, now rethinking her decision even more. Going on and following Mal was easy – those victims were a whole different story. Some were docile lambs, others became bitter and swore to get their revenge for what she's done to them.

It only added fuel to the fire, to the internal fight going on. Two sides in her head were arguing, both with opposing mindsets and arguments. The first demanded she'd stay evil since nobody here would give her a chance and the other suggested she'd stick around and try out living like a stereotypical good person. The more dominant voice urged her to charm a boy, any boy (just not Carlos) as soon as she found one, to get out of here, to betray the location and go back to being the person she's always been. The weaker voice, that had gained some strength after hearing Henry's last words, used those words to try and talk her into giving this lifestyle a chance, to at least know how he had lived and how he had been around here.

Evie made her decision once they passed the first cabin. All around, people briefly stopped their activities to see Mal and Carlos arrive with Evie. If Carlos alone already gathered some stares, seeing Evie coming with them made everyone stand still and look. Some did continue walking, but not before taking their time to wonder and whisper to whoever stood closest. One or two spectators shouted something random and rude at the newcomer – she couldn't recognize them, but she was certain they were once victims of her. Though one other victim stood out like a sore thumb.

"YOU!" The three stopped in their tracks when they heard the loud yell. Mal sighed briefly and Carlos looked around in confusion. The three then turned their heads to the left – where the shout had come from – and watched Chad try to come at them, looking furiously at Evie.

"You witch!" he shouted, "You messed with my head!" It wasn't all he said, and many more rude and graphic insults were thrown at her. Luckily for her, Lonnie was around to stand in his way, to keep him away from her. She did sent a glare in the princess' direction, but only barely kept Chad from physically hurting Evie. They passed the two without further ado, sparking another tirade about how Evie didn't have the right to walk away like that, among other things.

"Don't mind him," Mal said once the distance between them and Chad was big enough. "He's quite grumpy most of the time."

"And angry," Evie added, reminding herself of their first encounter. _He shouldn't have tried to be the hero,_ she thought. If he'd been smart, he would have stayed away and he would not be too messed up. _And you shouldn't have seduced him,_ the weaker voice added, but she didn't pay much attention to it.

"Just stay away from him," Carlos said, "That always works." Evie nodded at him in agreement as an answer.

Not much later, the three reached a cabin that seemed to be bigger than the ones they had just passed. This lead Evie to believe this was either considered town hall or the leader's residence. Before the three completely came to a halt, a boy walked out of it and remained in from of the door. It took Evie just a few seconds to recognize him as the teenage boy from the village square, the one Mal had saved earlier. Since then, his face has hardened and he had matured, though she was not in a position to say that, as she only saw him for the second time in her life.

"Mal. Welcome back," he said, looking mainly at Mal and Carlos. He looked relieved to see her again. "I'm glad you're okay." He briefly glanced at Evie before turning away from her again. "No Jay?"

"He ran off," Mal said, "We couldn't keep up with him. He's quite fast."

"But Evie's here now, Ben" Carlos said, pointing at her, "That's something. A willing volunteer, might I add." The look on the leader's – Ben's – face suggested he was taken aback by that piece of information. He turned his attention to Evie again.

"You came willingly?" He asked her and Evie nodded, even if she regretted deciding to come with her friends so quickly.

"I wanted to see the place where Henry lived." She was having trouble saying this out loud. Not just the mention, but also the mere thought of Henry's demise broke her. Even if they had never seen each other too much, from his letters she knew what type of person he was and slowly she'd fallen for his heart.

Ben nodded at her. "Thank you for coming," he said, "I'm sorry, but because of safety measures, we'll have to place you in a secure location. It's not just for my friends' safety, but yours as well. I hope you'll understand."

Evie nodded. After witnessing Chad's reaction minutes ago, she thought it was in her best interest to stay behind bars, if not just for her own safety. As soon as she had answered the question non-verbally, Ben turned his head to the others again.

"Mal, will you bring her away?"

"Sure," she said.

"Good," Ben replied, "Then, we have some important matters to discuss." Mal nodded and after getting the confirmation, Ben then continued his walk, wherever he had wanted to go before he'd seen Mal and co. arrive.

And so, Mal guided Evie to another new place in this small village. Carlos followed as well and Evie presumed he'd rather stay close to Mal than to run around freely. This lead her to realize he may not have a choice in the matter and probably has to stay close to Mal.

After a short walk of maximum five minutes, they reached a more heavily guarded part of the village, complete with walls built around a group of cabins. Two girls, both holding weapons, stared at them as they came closer. Mal stopped when they were about four meters away from the guards.

"I came to place her here," Mal said, looking at Evie. "Ben's orders."

The girls nodded in confirmation and opened up the gates. The three walked inside and all Evie could see was another street of cabins, like the ones they just passed, only the cabins were smaller and most did not have any windows. It also was eerily quiet, with one voice from the other side crying for help.

Mal brought her to the third cabin on the left.

Evie already knew she wouldn't like it here. The cabin was just one room, complete with bed (albeit an old one), a chair, a lightbulb attached to the ceiling and a barred window in the door. Evie looked from the room at Mal.

"I'm sorry," Mal said, "but this is where you'll have to stay for a while. I'll try to get you out of here as soon as possible."

"Thanks," Evie said in response. She took a deep breath and then walked into the cabin, even if it looked more like a shack on the inside. Mal shut the door behind

"We'll see you soon," Carlos said. Then, they walked away and left Evie there, in the cell. Even if they refused to call it a cell – or anything else, for that matter – she was aware she was being locked up until further notice. The weaker voice in her told her she deserved it, for everything she's done in her life, especially those boys. The stronger voice in her head suggested walking out of there, since she had never seen Mal use a key to lock the door. Evie tried pushing it open, yet it wouldn't budge. Maybe there was a mechanism or spell to prevent any prisoners from leaving the premise. No, not maybe – they had to be one. Otherwise, she wouldn't stay here.

She heard some noise outside, as if something had fallen to the ground. Once she looked out of the barred window in the door, she noticed she was right. Outside, a boy with glasses had dropped something and he was now picking it up. She kept staring at him, getting the feeling she had met and possibly seen him before. He couldn't be an inmate here – the ability to walk around freely was the biggest giveaway.

He looked up once he gathered all his stuff and he stopped moving as soon as he noticed Evie. She made an attempt to smile at him, which succeeded.

"Hey," she said. So, she startled him even more.

"Hey," he replied. He didn't smile and tried his hardest to sound indifferent, but he could not hide his fear, especially illustrated by him gulping.

"I'm sorry," she began, "but do I know you?" She just had to ask – if he confirmed or denied meeting her, she knew whether she's really met him before.

Reluctantly and after a while, the boy nodded. "Yes, you…" he trailed off, then took a deep breath before he continued. "You messed with my mind." Despite the distance, she could feel him glaring at her with those fearful eyes.

"Oh," was all Evie could say. She remembered the name now. Doug. Unless she was wrong, this boy had to be Doug. And she definitely met him before. Experience taught her no boy would mention it without feeling fury or fear to a certain extent.

Doug broke off eye contact and proceeded to walk away from her.

"Wait!" To her big surprise, Doug stopped in his tracks after she had said that. She took her chance. "I'm sorry for that. I… I apologize, I shouldn't have done that." She had given in to the weaker voice, while the stronger voice wanted her to take advantage of him to get out of her cell. So far, she just talked to him without further plan.

For a moment, nothing happened. She was about to walk away from the door, certain he would not respond, when he turned around to face Evie again. His facial expression hadn't changed much, though he now looked more grateful than before, leaving her to wonder why he was so grateful.

"What are you looking at?" she said when he kept staring at her. Doug shook his head.

"It's nothing, I just…" he paused for a brief moment, after which he continued. "I needed that. You apologizing. Thank you."

"You're welcome," Evie told him. When she realized she was smiling at him, she quickly stopped. He wasn't smiling and, in this context, it felt so unfair – they were victim and aggressor, not old acquaintances. Doug looked at her for a few more seconds before finally turning his head and walking away with the stuff he'd picked up from the ground earlier.

Evie walked away from the barred window, deeper into the room she'd have to call 'home' for the next couple of… days? Weeks? Or maybe months or years? Either way, she would not allow them or herself to stay any longer than necessary. For now, she was glad to stay away from Jay and to rethink her decision and make one later, not based on irrational and emotional arguments, such as Jay's outburst and Henry's death.

After all, it wasn't that bad. Only the accommodation could be better, and maybe they should consider giving their prisoner some better matrasses, but the way she looked at it, they would not just put her down. No, she was too valuable for that. All she had to do, was wait for someone to come see her. And by the time someone will have arrived to talk to her, she will have decided where her allegiance lies.

* * *

After bringing Evie to the cells – they didn't like to leave her there, but they had no other choice – they went back to the leader's office, to Ben's cabin, where the meeting would be held. They entered the hallway and once they wanted to walk in the general meeting room, the guard – a young boy – told them Carlos was not allowed to go inside for unspecified reasons. So, Carlos stayed behind while Mal walked through the doors.

Mal was a bit surprised when she entered the room. For starters, some other people – all council members – were present in the room. She had believed Ben had wanted a private conversation, but she could throw that assumption through the window. For every person there was one chair, and also some more. They were placed in a circle.

Ben sat between his father and his mother. Next to the Beast sat Chad and Lonnie, who had calmed down after their encounter with Evie. Though they had been informed she (and Jay) would be coming here, they could not have predicted how they would react – they could have only guessed. There were two empty spots between Lonnie and Alice, who had also shown up. there were three more empty seats between Alice and Belle. There were enough seats for the remaining council members (Shanti, Hiroki, Philip and Doug) and Mal herself. She opted to sit down next to Belle, as she had accepted her more easily than the other members.

A few minutes passed in which nothing happened. Lonnie and Chad were quietly talking to each other, as were Ben and his father. When Mal was about to ask Belle what they were waiting for, the door opened again. Doug walked inside the room.

"I'm sorry I'm late," he apologized, "I got help up." He took the seat next to Lonnie, leaving only three seats empty.

"It's okay," Ben told him. he wasn't too late, anyway. "Now we're all here, let's start the meeting."

"Where's Philip?" Alice immediately asked. Mal guessed Shanti and Hiroki would not show up here today, since Alice did not mentioned the two. Nobody else spoke of them, too, so it was safe to assume they wouldn't come today. Mal also noticed Ben's expression slightly changed, and Chad bowed his head, avoiding eye contact with everyone but Ben.

"He's looking for Audrey," Ben responded, "She hasn't been spotted since Maleficent attacked."

An uneasy silence fell upon the room. Though Mal had not noticed Audrey hadn't been around since the creatures attacked, she had been aware someone was missing. As she looked around, she saw everyone was presuming the worst and hoped for better, especially Chad. Yet, somewhere, Mal knew Audrey survived the attack. There was no evidence pointing in that direction yet, and still she strongly believed Audrey was still alive somewhere. She can't have died, not then, not now.

"So?" Alice began, breaking the silence and getting back on topic. "What do you want to discuss with us?"

Ben cleared his throat, thankful they could go back to the reason why he called them all together, thankful they could be distracted from Audrey's fate. He said: "As you know, I sent out a call to arms to our members and supporters all over Auradon. The response has been overwhelmingly positive." He then turned his head to his father.

"At least five hundred people have confirmed they are willing to fight, not counting those who cannot contact us," Beast explained, "Some of them already are on their way to Maleficent's castle. We expect those numbers to grow even more in the next few days."

"More than five hundred already?" Chad said, briefly trying to forget his step-sister and what she could be by now. A small smile crept upon his face. "Auradon is finally going to fight back."

"Can we really ask them to fight for us?" Alice asked them. "They can lose their lives out there!"

"So can we if this plan fails," Ben said, painfully aware of the imminent danger above their heads, above everyone's heads. "I know you're against this, Alice. We won't force you to come along."

Alice nodded in response and agreement. Ben waited for any questions, but none came. So he took a deep breath and then continued to address the group as a whole.

"We've only got two days to prepare ourselves for the attack. Alice, you can stay here and take care of the kids and seniors. Nobody under sixteen or above sixty is allowed to fight. Doug, you find your medical students and put them aside. Ask them to gather as many resources as they possibly can. Once we're fighting, you'll have to act fast. Lonnie, Chad, you two rally all others and prepare them for battle the best way you can. If they prefer to stay behind, they will stay behind. You cannot force them to pick up a weapon. Is that clear for everyone?"

He looked at the group. Alice bowed her head briefly, as a confirmation of her role. Lonnie and Chad nodded their heads once, and so did Doug.

"Then let's start. We've got not time to lose. You're dismissed." Everyone stood up from their seats and left the room, ready to prepare for battle. Belle and Beast both congratulated their son for handling this short meeting well before leaving as well, out to help those who needed that. before Mal left, she had one more question for Ben.

"Why did you want me to be here?"

"Excuse me?" Ben said, confused by said question.

"I'm not a council member," she explained herself, "So why did you want me to be here?" She was grateful to have been at the meeting, yes, but she just needed to know. there was a brief pause, in which Ben searched for the right words.

"It's your mother," Ben eventually said, "I wanted… you had every right to be here."

"And what if I had any bad intentions left?" she then asked him. There always was a risk, trusting a villain or their kids. She could not understand why Ben would want to take that risk, as she could have feigned goodness all this time.

Ben answered without hesitation, looking at Mal. "Then I made a mistake." What he implied was to her far more valuable than what he'd said. He trusted her enough to let her know these kind of things. He recklessly cared less about the safety and the fidelity that nobody would give said information to the villains. Typical Ben, always the optimist, even when things could still turn out to be worse than expected.

Mal left the building after Ben had given her that honest answer. She passed Carlos, who had to quickly follow her, as she was walking pretty fast.

"Hey!" he said, "How was the meeting?"

"Good," Mal responded, turning her head to him. "We have work to do." Of course, they too had to prepare for the upcoming battle. After all, they too were expected to fight or hep I any way.


	20. Calm before the storm

**And again three months... Yeah, I wanted to update earlier than this. But hey, at least it's not four months again! School and exams got in the way of that. But I'm on break now and I will have three months of free time, during which I'll try to write as much as I can and, hopefully, finish the story before you'll have to wait for months on end again for an update. Either way, I'm back with the next chapter and we're approaching the climax (also, thank you so much for being so patient with me - next update will be quicker, I promise). Without further ado, here it is! But first, here are my replies to your reviews:**

 _Mustang52:_ _Thanks for reviewing! Don't worry, we'll get to the battle soon (well, pre-battle, but still). Anyway, there'll be some more Bal moments, though not too many. (not very good at romance, but I can always try). But there'll be at least one in the upcoming chapters._

 _OddDangerSpiritualCyberLover17: __Here is the next chapter_

 _RWRF:_ _Thanks for reviewing! Yeah, I was a bit busy, but I'm back and updates will (hopefully) be more regular from now on._

 _Kingson24601:_ _Don't worry, you haven't missed too much. And yes, that's basically it. He does have his worries, though, but they're not too big. Thanks for reviewing!_

 _sleepysadkid:_ _Thanks for reviewing! I don't really have a favorite, but that's a great choice. Let's see how well he does on the battlefield._

 _Jes:_ _I'm glad you loved it! Thanks for reviewing!_

 **Enjoy!**

 **-Writer207**

* * *

Two days later, the alliance was set to go out and face Maleficent. As Ben had ordered, only the youngest and oldest stayed in Neverland, as well as everyone who would rather not be on the battlefield. Beast and Belle volunteered to stay behind, to help Alice take care of things. Doug had his medical students divided into two groups, of which one would go out in the field and the other one stayed behind. Evie still remains in her cell, with someone guarding her at all times. Carlos, who had to stay close to Mal – he really hated the 'buddy system', as he calls it – was required to go to the battlefield, too. As an archer, he had to stay in one place for most of the battle. Chad had made it really clear to him that, should he try to run, he would be dead before he hit the ground.

Mal, Philip and other people who had harnessed the magic, brought everyone who wanted to fight to the woods near the field where it would all go down. When the alliance's members started to place themselves within these hordes of civilians, they realized there were way more than a thousand people here. Ben set up a post on the edge of the forest, and asked people not to come too close to them. So far, they respected this request, and Ben could go over the plan again in peace.

Chad skipped the first part of this meeting in favor of walking through the crowds. He wore his father's old armor with the Charming sigil on it and when people approached him, he had a short conversation with them and told them he was already glad to see them, fully aware that some – if not most – of these people would not be going home. Luckily he did not spot too many children in the crowd.

But he didn't just take a stroll so he could talk to the people. No, there was someone he was actively seeking out, someone who was also actively trying to avoid Chad at all costs. He had immediately slipped away upon arrival, making it harder for Chad to find him.

Yet, eventually, he spotted the pale boy with blond hair in the crowd. He stepped right towards Hadrian. Only when Chad was a few steps away, Hadrian noticed the Charming coming closer. But he allowed it. At least he's not running away again.

They stood side by side for some time, with an awkward silence between them. eventually, though, Chad started the conversation.

"There sure are lots of people here, huh?" he said. Hadrian turned his head to Chad, looking genuinely surprised.

"What?"

"I mean, look at this crowd," Chad said, spreading his arms, looking at everyone around him. "It's just way more than we—"

"I'm not sure," Hadrian interrupted after rolling his eyes and looked away again, an annoyed look on his face. Chad frowned.

"What?" Now it was his turn to be confused.

"You never talk to me," Hadrian explained, "But it's something you have to do to get the information only I can provide you, am I correct?"

For a moment, Chad did not say anything. He should've guessed small talk wouldn't work on his least-favorite demigod. Of course he'd see straight through Chas's attempt to get the information he needed, an answer to the question he and probably some others, too, wanted to get an answer for: _Will I make it to tomorrow?_

"Yes," Chad eventually responded, nodding.

"I'm not sure," Hadrian said, repeating himself. "There's too many people here today. It's always hard to tell who's going to die when the crowd size is this large. But there is one thing I know for sure." The demigod turned his head to Chad.

"After today," he continued, "you will never have to worry about me anymore."

This revelation rendered Chad speechless.

"I'm sorry," Chad said. given the implications of Hadrian's comments, he felt like he needed to say something.

"No you're not," the demigod replied. Chad opened his mouth to say something else, but Hadrian would not allow it.

"No, I can't stop it. Better to embrace it, then and no, I'm not afraid to permanently move in with dad. We don't have a long life-span, anyway." Chad was starting to feel very uncomfortable, with Hadrian still not looking away. He had made it no secret that he would be overjoyed when the demigod would leave, as he had always opposed him staying with them in Neverland. On the other hand, he had just hoped they would just part ways – he never considered that the way to get rid of him was to send him to his death. Even though technically it was him who consciously would be walking to his death.

"Chad!" A voice took him out of his thoughts. When he looked up, he saw how Philip was walking closer to him. For the occasion, his surrogate father chose to wear his quite-recognizable red cloak. There was a concerned look on his face.

Chad frowned. "Philip," he said, "What is it?"

"Have you, by any chance, seen Audrey around?" Philip asked him, and Chad put two and two together. Philip probably had hoped that Audrey had just gone missing after the attack, probably had hoped she heard Ben's message and hoped she would show up here. Maybe she had, but with a crowd like this, it was not easy to find someone.

"Haven't seen her," Chad replied. He now hoped she was here, too, but he was being a bit more realistic and still a voice in the back of his head told him that Audrey may be dead. Philip's concern was affecting him.

"Okay," Philip said. "You stay safe, okay?" He placed a hand on Chad's shoulder, and the teenager nodded in response.

"Yes, sir," he said.

"Good," Philip responded. He let go of Chad's shoulder and then walked away, continuing his search for Audrey. Just as he disappeared between the people, Chad turned his head to Hadrian again. At least, to the place where he'd been standing a minute ago. Hadrian had taken the opportunity to sneak away from him.

Chad wasn't going to follow him. He had his answer, though it wasn't what he hoped it'd be. It was time to go back to Ben, who probably wanted to debrief him again about the strategies they could use for the battle. He made his way through the crowd again, people let him pass quickly and easily and soon, he was back with Ben.

* * *

Mal and Carlos were walking to the archers together. There weren't a lot of them, but they were already glad they had this kind of back-up. The alliance had lent Carlos a crossbow. It wasn't exactly the type he was used to work with, but this would definitely do. They had not given him any arrows yet – quite a smart move, even if he would only shoot the people and monsters on Maleficent's side. Nobody here would believe him.

As they passed the people, they whispered and pointed. There were some who did not bother to whisper, but Mal and Carlos ignored them. they knew Ben had sent some people in the crowd, to tell them Mal and Carlos were on their side. Yet, it was up to them to believe the messengers. And if they believed it, it didn't mean they had to agree with it.

After five minutes, they had reached the archer's spot. All archers and bowmen, no matter how skilled they were, had gathered on this place, with good sight of the soon-to-be battlefield. Without saying a word, they stopped walking and Carlos was handed a quiver by an older man, who did not seem to mind the two villain kids' presence too much. Carlos muttered a quick "thank you" to him.

 _It's almost over,_ Carlos thought to himself. After these couple of days, he came to realize he did not like staying with the alliance. He certainly did not want to stick with them for one more month before he was 'released' from the buddy-system. Once the battle's done, he could leave. He could run, stay away from trouble and figure out what he wanted to do with his life without being influenced by either 'good' or 'evil'. At least, that was his plan if he lived to see the end of it. Those beasts… Carlos hadn't seen them yet, but rumor spread fast. And it was quite easy for anyone to come up here and tear the bowmen to shreds.

"Carlos? Are you okay?" Mal asked him. He shrugged and turned his head to her.

"I'd rather fight now," he said, "The sooner it's over, the better." The sooner I can leave.

Mal nodded in agreement. "Yeah, me too." Carlos didn't really hear her, as he went back to inspecting his weapon for the umpteenth time and counted the amount of arrows they had put in his quiver. When he looked up from them, Mal, still was there, looking at him. To be honest, it kind of annoyed him.

"What is it?" he asked her with an irritating voice.

"What's bothering you?" she asked him.

"Nothing," he responded.

"Yes, there is," Mal said, "Carlos, I know you. What's bothering you?" Carlos sighed. _She sure has changed_. Only a couple of months ago, she wouldn't have cared at all whether Carlos was bothered by someone or not, even if she probably would notice it. He couldn't believe the change that has been made since she left to get the Fairy Godmother's wand. He did appreciate the concern, but it still felt like Mal's 'good twin' had replaced her.

"I'm here," he eventually said. "They could've just as easily put me behind bars until this is over. Instead, I am here. Doesn't that say a lot about these people?" Doesn't this prove the light can have some shade, which it not too often showcases? Doesn't this prove how much they value villain life?

"It's true," Carlos continued, when it looked like Mal was about to defend the alliance's actions, "They probably just want to get rid of me. I mean, I did kill Henry." As far as he knew, Henry was quite loved by the people of the alliance, despite being born a villain. And if there is one thing he learned about human nature, it's that revenge is a strong motivator. What better way to indirectly execute him than to send him to his death in the battle of the century? How he felt about it did not matter to them – how sorry he may be, someone had to pay. He did not even know for sure if everyone knew he killed Henry, but it was safe to assume they knew.

"Evie stays behind because she's no fighter," Mal said. There were many other things she could've mentioned, but she instead picked the most obvious reason of the bunch.

"And because her mother is willing to do anything to get her back," Carlos added. _I may be her son, but her coats are her babies._ It's always been about the coats anyway. She only 'loved' Carlos when it was convenient. She never truly cared.

To his big surprise, Mal nodded in agreement.

"We have the worst mothers," she said. Carlos agreed with her. They were just the worst. Not because they were villains, and that definitely played a role, but because of the way they treated their children. Maleficent only ever focused on molding Mal into the obedient heiress she wanted her to be while Cruella De Vil treated Carlos as she would any servant – except during those rare occasions where playing mother was convenient and necessary. Compared to them, the Evil Queen was an okay mother.

Then, another thought crept in his head. It was only distantly related to this train of thoughts, but he couldn't help but agree with what his mind was trying to tell him.

"Crazy…"

"What is?" Mal responded. He quickly turned his head to Mal, as he believed he only thought it. But apparently, he said it out loud. He could just shrug it off and insist it was nothing, but he was not really in the mood to lie to her, especially since he planned to leave.

"We. Our lives." Carlos responded. "Mal, it's just crazy. We've bullied, terrorized, tortured… we've killed, Mal. Or at least, we're going to kill very soon. And not just anyone – we're going to kill hirelings of those who made us do all those things in the first place." He took a pause, a moment to take his breath. He could've stopped there, but he was on fire and didn't feel like stopping just yet.

"We're… how do you say this? we're… screwed up, we're… not insane, just… we're kids, but we never were _children_. We're not…" It was getting harder to convert his thoughts into words and coherent sentences. Questions related to the topic surfaced. If they weren't raised in this crazy world, would they have been different? Would they have been children, or still as screwed as they were now? It didn't just apply to them, though – Ben and co. probably never had a proper childhood either, being hunted down by their parents.

"I understand," Mal said. Carlos nodded at her and sighed in relief. He was just glad he didn't have to look for the right words anymore. Somehow, that was even more stressful than what they were about to do.

"I gotta go now," Mal said, "Good luck."

"You, too," Carlos replied. And with those words, Mal walked away. He did not speak up. He did not stop her, did not say a proper goodbye. He couldn't do it. He just let her walk away and he went back to counting his arrows, as he had lost count because of the conversation. He then waited impatiently for the fight to start. The sooner it's done, the better.

 _Let's do this._

* * *

The archers weren't too far away from where Ben had set up the post at the edge of the forest. From that position, they had a clear view of the deserted village in the east – no doubt most citizens we're going to fight, too –, on the valley and on the kilometers-long meadow separating the forest and the castle. Storming it was impossible, and they had to exclude the possibility that they had the element of surprise (you never knew who could've warned Maleficent). They just had to hope for the best.

Ben stood there, talking to both Lonnie and Chad. The other council members had already placed themselves within the crowd, ready to take command of a small group of people, if necessary.

As soon as Ben came into view, a smile appeared on her face. she did wipe it off her face almost immediately. They were going to fight, this was no time to smile! She just walked closer, tried to maintain a neutral look on her face. as soon as Ben noticed her, he briefly smiled at her, but it lasted for just a second, too. The closer she came, the easier it became to hear what Ben was telling Lonnie.

"… wait for the signal, okay? And only when they receive the signal. If they ask, tell them they'll know what it is," Ben said. Lonnie nodded in response.

"Yes, sir," she said, and she then walked away from them, spreading the message Ben had just given her. Ben and Chad turned their heads to Mal soon after.

"Hey," Ben said, "You remember what to do?" Mal nodded.

"Get you to Maleficent as quickly as possible," she responded. That was her idea. Since the protection spell, cast by the Fairy Godmother, was specifically meant for magical harm, there was a small chance Maleficent could not harm Ben at all, making him the perfect candidate to get rid of her. Mal, as well as some others including Lonnie and Chad, had volunteered to help him cross the battlefield without being killed.

"Okay," Ben said, in a way of reassuring himself it would be okay, that it would go according to the plan. He was acting quite nervously lately. "Are you ready for this?"

"I don't know," Mal said – she had no idea how things would go, what her mother would do and, to be honest, it kind of scared her. "And you?"

"We're here," Ben said, sighing, "Might as well carry out the plan." This prompted Chad to sigh loudly and roll his eyes.

"Not this again," he said. Ben's lack of response left it open for interpretation. Since Mal spent quite some time with him the past few days and weeks, he was starting to learn what his insecurities and fears were, and so it became easy to figure out what was going on.

"Are you having second thoughts?" she asked him. Ben looked in her eyes and nodded once.

Mal's eyes widened. "But this was your idea!" Without Ben, nobody would be here today. Without Ben calling out to everyone, a rebellion was the last thing on anyone's minds, as something like that would not have happened for some years.

"I know, but…" Ben trailed off, but continued soon after. "I could be sending them to their deaths. I'm responsible for all of them."

"No," Mal said, "You're responsible for the alliance, not for everyone else here."

"I've been trying to tell him that," Chad said, "but he just doesn't want to listen."

Ben briefly glanced at Chad, as if to glare at him. But he didn't go through with it.

"Still, "he said, "Even if we somehow survive this, Maleficent is just going to make more of those beasts. She's just going to continue, she'll always find a way."

"Then we make sure she won't be able to continue," Mal said with determination in her voice. Her mother needed to be stopped. She would not be able to kill her, but there were still people out there who would gladly take the opportunity to get rid of the tyrant.

Loud growls and howls drew everyone's attention. Ben, Mal and Chad turned their heads, the men grabbing their sheaths – Chad was carrying his sword, Ben had a dagger. Twenty of those beasts, if there weren't more hiding somewhere, had walked onto the field, trying to strike fear in the hearts of the people. The beasts were accompanied by some soldiers, no doubt hirelings doing everything Maleficent wanted in return for big sums of money. Finally, Maleficent herself walked onto the field, accompanied by two other soldiers. They were still far away, and it wasn't easy to see who exactly was walking next to her.

"Well, you can't turn back now," Chad said, looking at the people and creatures they would have to fight. When Mal turned her head to Ben again, she noticed it was paler than before. Chad was right – there was no turning back now.


	21. The duel

**I told you I'd get this chapter out sooner. Either way, this was one of the two chapters I've been looking forward to writing for a very long time (the other being the next one) and finally, I've written it and you can read it. And it's a long one today! (though I suspect the next chapter is going to be even longer) I just hope the quality's good enough... Anyway, here are my responses to your reviews and after that, this next chapter.**

 _Mustang52:_ _Thanks for reviewing! "Great" is not a word I'd use for a boy who's just been named leader and who does not really have any experience leading a battle, but he sure got the skills._

 _Jay-Wow:_ _First off, thank you so much for that lengthy review. Secondly, I just took the movie and set it in a world in which villains rule, including all the mature and evil things they did and would do. The rest and the details just came naturally. Thanks for reviewing!_

 _PurpleNicole531:_ _Thanks for reviewing! I'm sure Evie will need quite some time to adjust to the good life, considering Carlos still isn't quite convinced of this life. And when Hadrian mentioned the people who'd die in "the lessons", he was talking about himself and Henry. Well, death is not one of Chad's favorite subjects, and since Hadrian is the son of Hades, there is quite some friction between the two of them._ _In regards to Audrey, you'll learn what she's been doing in this chapter._

 _Kingson24601:_ _Oh yeah, it's time to get started! Thanks for reviewing!_

 **Enjoy!**

 **-Writer207**

* * *

It had started, yet nothing really happened. Maleficent had stopped walking towards them and just stood there, a couple of yards in front of her 'army', her two henchmen staying only a little behind her, not giving any commands yet. Before anyone could wonder what she was up to this time and before Ben could tell the alliance and their supporters to start the attack, everyone heard her speak.

"May I speak with your leader, please?" Maleficent requested. Involuntarily, a chill ran down Mal's spine. After years of spending time with her, Mal felt only fear for her mother for the first time in her life, instead of the usual fear mixed with respect for her evilness. And after these years of conditioning, she had learned to know what her mother wanted just by hearing the intonation in her voice and the choice of words. The others did not react as dramatically as Mal.

"Please?" Chad said, frowning in confusion. Apparently, he was surprised Maleficent tagged that word to a command and even knew that word.

"That's her way of saying she won't accept 'no' for an answer," Mal then said, looking directly at Ben, wondering what he'd do. Nobody spoke for some time and many things were left unsaid. _Don't do this. Don't let her confuse you, don't let her get to your head._ Because Maleficent was not just evil, but still pretty smart herself.

Eventually, Ben turned to the soon-to-be battlefield, having made his decision. Chad, realizing what his friend was about to do, immediately placed his hand on Ben's shoulder.

"Ben…" Chad trailed off immediately and he never finished his sentence. What was there to say that wasn't already said, especially when it did not need explaining because of the situation and context?

"We've got to at least hear her out. To see what she wants," Ben said, staring at Chad with determination in his eyes. Chad sighed after a while and let go of the shoulder.

"I swear, if she touches you, I'll go out and kill them all," he said. Ben nodded at him, though it was unclear whether he agreed with the statement. He was already glad to have the support.

"Good luck," Mal then said. _You'll need it._

"Thanks," Ben said and briefly smiled at all of them. Then, he turned around again and walked straight onto the battlefield.

The walk took too long in his opinion. Every step of the way, everyone was watching him. It seemed like he actually felt the burden that he willingly took upon him, the impossible task of fighting back, taking a stance, and telling the oppressors they've had enough. He confidently continued to walk, knowing every pair of eyes fixated on his back supported him in every decision he made, even when doubt started to creep in his mind and made him unsure about the plan. He did manage to keep the worst thoughts under wraps with deep breaths and a steady pace.

Finally, he reached the middle ground, the approximate middle of the battlefield, far away from any support, and after what felt like an eternity, Maleficent came closer as well. She was much more frightening than he expected her to be. Of course, she looked like everyone told her she would look like, but nobody mentioned her sickening grin and the light in her eyes, clearly showing pleasure in knowing people will die today.

Far behind her stood her two henchmen. On one side stood a man Ben barely recognized, clad in black and wearing an armor that made him look quite threatening. On the other side stood Jay, for the occasion dressed as a warrior and sporting a large two-handed sword.

"So you are the leader?" Maleficent said, disparaging him, "I had no idea they let children make the important decisions." Ben knew she was trying to belittle him, to make him feel small and insecure. He tried his best to hide it from her and to come across as a confident young man.

"You wanted to talk," Ben said, but Maleficent almost immediately shook her head.

"No," she said, "Not really. I want to make a deal."

"What kind of deal?" Ben asked. He tried not to show his confusion about her intentions to her – he soon would know what she wanted, anyway. A creepy and evil smile appeared on her face, replacing the grin that had previously been there.

"Let's have a duel," she suggested, "To the death! Your best fighter against mine. Of course, mine won't be one of the beasts. That'd be unfair, wouldn't it?" That last part stuck with him the most. Fighting one of the beasts was indeed unfair, but after everything she had done to this country, he thought she did not have the right to say what was unfair.

"What's the catch?" Ben then asked her. There had to be a catch – she wouldn't just suggest to have a duel without having personal gain with it.

"There is none, you silly boy," she said, "It's just a duel. If you ask me, it's better than sending all your friends to their deaths. If your fighter wins, I'll surrender. If mine wins, you turn around and leave. Nobody dies, except for the losing champion. Tell me, what is one life compared to thousands?"

There was short period of silence. he had no idea what to think of this offer. It was tempting to accept it and hold the duel, to say yes and hope for the best. Yet, he still was negotiating with Maleficent. Would she give up the chance to intimidate her enemies into submission? Was she lying about the peace being kept after the duel? But then again, what if she truly was telling the truth?

"How do I know you will surrender if we win?" Ben eventually asked her.

"You don't," Maleficent responded. That did not make it easier to figure out what her intentions were, unlike what he had expected. A grin appeared on her face, smiling at the leader, happy because of the position she had put him in. She took one step forward and even if she did not come too close, she seemed much more intimidating and even bigger than before.

"Do we have a deal?" she then asked her, probably assuming him to hesitate and ask for more time to think. But Ben had already made the decision.

"Yes."

* * *

Finally, Ben walked back to the alliance unharmed. Once he was back, Philip and Lonnie had returned to the 'leader's outpost', presumably right after Ben went to meet up with Maleficent. And the closer he got, the easier it was to see the disapproving look on Philip's face.

"You _really_ shouldn't have gone," Philip said. Without the Beast being present on the battlefield, it seemed that Philip had slipped in the role of the fatherly figure. "You could've been dead!"

"He's back now, isn't he?" Mal then said, coming to Ben's defense. "If mother wanted him dead, he would be dead by now." Ben nodded in agreement, though stopped doing it when he realized what Mal was implying.

"Well," Chad then piped in, breaking the silence that had been building up, "Tell us. What did she want?"

"She suggested to hold a duel," Ben then told them. reactions were mixed. Philip and Mal both seemed to accept this, but Chad and Lonnie were more surprised by this turn of events.

"A duel?" Chad asked, wondering whether he had heard it right. Ben nodded in response.

"To the death," Ben added, "Her best fighter against ours. The loser surrenders and nobody else dies."

"Do you really believe she is going to stick to that promise?" Lonnie then asked him. She had spent most of her life with him, as a good friend, and the rest of the alliance, as a family. Some may interpret it as her asking whether he was crazy, but she just wanted to know if this could be the solution they were hoping for, one where nobody has to die.

Ben shrugged. "I don't know," he admitted, "but if she is, it's a chance we have to take." Lonnie nodded, showing her support for the idea.

"Please don't tell me you agreed to it," Philip then said – making deals with villains isn't a good idea, especially when it's Maleficent. But Ben did not answer him, and everyone rightly assumed he had agreed to the duel.

"Do you know who her champion is?" Chad wanted to know. Ben shook his head, turning to his friend.

"No," he said, "All I know is that your opponent won't be a beast." Chad nodded and sighed in relief. Their opponent would be human. Well, that's one good thing coming out of this mess.

"I'll go," Philip then announced. He took his sword out of his sheath, as if he was ready to fight already, and looked directly at Ben, confidence and determination in his eyes. "I've fought her before, I can do it again." Before he was done talking, Ben already had started shaking his head.

"No, we need you here," he said. Mal thought he sounded more like a child begging for his father to stay than a commander telling a soldier to stand down. The age difference between them did not help either, and neither did Philip's appearance. He looked exactly the same as the first time he confronted Maleficent, when his future wife was still a sleeping beauty, with the exception of some wrinkles here and there.

"We need everyone here," Philip said, "We can't afford to lose anyone of them. With all due respect, but let me fight her." He emphasized the last four words, and Mal took one small step away. Even if Philip was a nice man, he too had his issues and over the weeks where he'd trained her, she had learned when to give him his space.

Ben shook his head. "We don't know if she's her own best fighter," he said, "I'm not letting you go out there to be killed."

"She took my wife!" Philip shouted unexpectedly, startling everyone. He rarely raised his voice, so this was even more of a surprise. But it did not get worse than that. He paused, looked away and took some deep breaths before turning to Ben again. "She took my wife and killed her," he continued in a much calmer voice, "maybe even my daughter, too. I will not allow her to take anyone else."

Philip turned around and was about to walk to the battlefield, but stopped. Chad, while everyone had been too busy watching Ben and Philip's conversation, was already walking to the middle of the battlefield to fight the duel himself. He had seen his chance and taken his opportunity. Nobody had noticed him go.

"Chad!" Philip was ready to go after him, but Ben still had something to say.

"Philip, please…" He could not finish his sentence. This small attempt to stop Philip made the man turn around and look at his leader with suppressed anger.

"So you're willing to let _him_ die?" He was almost shouting again. He was trying not to shout, even if it looked like he really wanted to.

"You're the better strategist," Lonnie said, hoping to calm him down and maybe justify Chad's actions. "I mean, Chad's good at fighting, but you've got the better brain."

"Besides, I don't know how she'll react with two people approaching," Mal said, "Maybe she'll attack if you go after him. I'm sorry, but there's nothing we can do. He's going to fight." She looked directly at Philip. "I would not take that chance."

Philip sighed. He took a deep breath, put the sword back in the sheath and then looked over the fields, at his surrogate son going to either live or die in the next few minutes. He may not agree with Chad's decision, but he could hope that Chad would return victoriously and that he would do well out there. Despite this, he turned around and walked into the volunteer army.

* * *

During the conversation, Chad had decided to make the decision. If Ben and Philip couldn't make up their minds, surely he would. Besides, if they are too busy discussing and arguing, they were losing time. Maleficent may not have said when she was expecting their best fighter to show up, but he most certainly did not want to risk it.

When Ben mentioned the duel, Chad knew it was something he had to do. Why? Because he still felt like shit. It's only been some days, a week or two since he tried to stab and kill Ben's family. Only some days to think about his behavior, to be confronted by the bad man Evie had briefly turned him into. He still felt guilty for everything he'd done when he was controlled. One act of evilness, whether it was out of free will or not, was already enough to break relationships that took years to make. What better way to mend those relationships than proving his worth by dueling? If he could kill Maleficent's champion, he surely would be accepted back into the alliance as a hero and blow a big hole in the hirelings' morale. And if he did lose today, it wouldn't be that bad. The punishment for treason was death, and as far as he was concerned, he still deserved it.

He soon arrived at what he believed the middle of the battlefield. He stood there, unsheathing his sword and waiting for Maleficent to send her champion. He could already imagine fighting him, imagining it was Jay he'd have to fight. He couldn't wait to see the light go out in that guy's eyes. After all, he'd been an accomplice when Evie took control of him.

Maleficent's fighter walked closer, and Chad gripped his sword even tighter. _Relax,_ he thought _. It'll be over soon. Show no mercy, end it before I can begin, win the fight and prepare for the war Ben just started._ Because once Maleficent is gone, the villains would search for power whenever they could, either going after each other or after Ben.

Now, he could see his opponent's face. His eyes widened, his face paled and his blood ran cold. No, he thought. He could take anyone, any person at all – heck, he'd rather fight one of those beasts. Anyone but her.

"Chad," Audrey said once she was close enough to talk, "It's good to see you." She was wearing an armor with Maleficent's emblem on it, carried her own sword with her. She failed to get herself a helmet, but that wasn't so much the problem.

Chad took a step back, not taking his eyes off of her. There were so many things he wanted to tell her right now. _I'm glad you're okay. We were so worried about you. Philip's been looking for you._ Yet, the most prominent though was: _What's gotten into you?_

"What's the matter?" Audrey asked him, slowly walking closer. "Cat got your tongue?"

"Audrey, this isn't you," Chad said, "Snap out of it." Because he did not want to believe Audrey was doing all of this willingly. So many scenarios ran through his head, all various situations which could explain how Audrey could have ended up here, yet none of them included joining voluntarily.

Audrey returned his words with an evil grin. "Nobody is making me do anything," she said. Chad sighed in despair. So she really was here voluntarily.

"Why?" Chad then asked her. He was fighting back the tears – never show them they get to you, even if they are your family. He stared straight at her.

"It's so much more fun and rewarding," she said. Chad could only nod in response. That was it then. From that moment on, he forced himself to stop seeing her as Audrey and to start seeing her as his opponent. It wasn't easy to do, but he might live longer or at all if he did it. He also concluded he went into this battle with a disadvantage. Siding with the enemy had given her a better armor than Chad (or anyone in that alliance, for that matter) could afford, including a shield. He could only hope she hadn't learned how to use it properly – only then it could be an advantage.

Audrey did not waste any time. She charged at Chad, who let her come close enough to attack. she raised her sword and let it come down on him. Chad blocked it, then aimed for her stomach area, that was left unprotected after her first attack. yet, she was quick enough and it rebounded on the shield.

Both were equally matched, both trained by Philip, both on about the same level. The blades clanged when they hit each other, time after time. Chad slowly backed up as the fight progressed. He decided to use the distance to run into her shield, effectively knocking her on the ground. He took a moment to pause and take a deep breath. He wasn't ready to kill Audrey, but he could incapacitate her and pass it as a death.

When Audrey fell, she turned, landing on her stomach. As he approached her again, she grabbed a handful of dirt from the ground and when Chad was close enough, she threw it in his face. Chad immediately closed his eyes, his free hand reaching out for his eyes, staggering backwards. He was already glad he didn't stumble. When he forcefully opened his eyes again, he was barely able to duck when Audrey tried to decapitate him.

He could not keep them open for too long, which put him at a crippling disadvantage. He was able to duck and defend himself for a couple of times, but Audrey's attack came followed each other much quicker. Before he could stop it, Audrey cut him in the arm. She must've hit an important nerve, as he immediately lost all feeling in that arm and the sword slipped from his numb fingers.

He was about to open his eyes when Audrey struck him in his chest, almost impaling him. She did pull her sword out of his body right away, causing Chad to fall backwards. He hit the ground and groaned. _Get up. C'mon, get up!_ But the pain was too strong and breathing was getting harder with every passing second. He feared he would never get up again.

When he opened his eyes, Audrey was standing over him. she had ditched the shield and now held both swords, with a triumphant smile on her face and no compassion in her eyes.

"Please…" Chad was unable to finish that sentence. By then, Audrey had plunged Chad's sword in his heart. First, there was an overwhelming pain, which almost caused him to pass out. But that pain soon faded away, as Audrey faded from his sight. And then, the light went out.

* * *

After a minute, Philip returned to the outpost and joined Ben, Mal and Lonnie, who had been watching Chad this whole time. He had arrived to the duel place not long ago, and his opponent was now coming closer to him as well. When they turned their heads to Philip, they noticed he was holding a pair of binoculars.

"Where'd you get those?" Lonnie asked him.

"Got them from an observer," Philip said. "Apparently, not everyone came to fight. I asked if I could borrow it."

"Why?" Mal wondered out loud. They could perfectly and clearly see the two duelists, though the distance made it hard to spot their faces. Though that was barely a hindrance, as Chad's opponent was not wearing the same color as Chad's dark blue.

"I just want to know who's fighting Chad," Philip said. He then put the binoculars at his eyes and focused on figuring out who Chad's opponent was.

"Well, it's not Jay," Mal said, folding her arms. "It's not his style to taunt his enemies." She then briefly turned her head to Philip. Slowly, he was lowering the binoculars and eventually let them slip through his fingers, letting it fall to the ground. He took a few steps back, trembling from head to toe. His face was one of despair, of sorrow even, and one of pure shock.

"Philip?" Ben asked, immediately rushing to his side. He took the arm, tried to comfort him. In the meantime, Lonnie picked up the binoculars from the ground and decided to look through them at the duel as well.

"They have her…" Philip said, sounding quite alarmed, a tear running down his cheek, "They have her. they're forcing her to…" he trailed off, fighting back the tears and not wanting to finish that sentence. Lonnie lowered the binoculars again, with the same dejected look on her face.

"Audrey's fighting Chad," Lonnie said, as some sort of explanation for Philip's behavior and Audrey's disappearance. So that was where she was the entire time.

Philip closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He now controlled his trembling, being non-visible or non-existent now, and when he opened his eyes, there was a determined look on his face. Ben and Lonnie figured out what Philip might do next. so, when Philip wanted to run towards his children, Ben and Lonnie both grabbed an arm and held him back. Even with two, it was a hard thing to do.

"Let me go!" Philip said, having raised his voice, "Let me go!" Luckily, their outpost was for the most part separated from the volunteer army. Seeing their leaders acting like that may make them doubt their commander's capabilities, especially after seeing Philip's reaction. Nobody really noticed – they were just waiting for something to happen, for something to do.

"Philip, no." Ben said. It was getting harder to hold him back.

"She has Audrey!" Philip said, pushing a little harder, "She's a prisoner, forced to fight!" Ben and Lonnie now were just able to keep him from taking off and possibly ruining everything. In the meantime, Chad and Audrey had started dueling.

"Maleficent doesn't take prisoners," Mal said, not looking away from the fight in the distance. This temporarily stopped Philip. He stopped struggling and looked directly at Mal.

"What?" he said. Ben and Lonnie let go of him, though they were ready to grab him again when necessary.

"Escape once, you're lucky, but eight times…" Mal said, but she trailed off and briefly shook her head. She did not want to say it out loud, only because of the way Philip may react. Luckily, there were implications, which helped Philip put two and two together.

His eyes widened in realization. He shook his head in denial. "No," he said, "No, Audrey isn't evil. I know her, she'd never do that! There… there has to be another reason." It was the desperation talking, the hope that Audrey hadn't betrayed her parents, that she was deceiving Maleficent, that she was anything but plain evil.

"It doesn't look like it," Mal said.

"Did you know?" Philip then asked her, "Did you know about this?"

Mal turned her head to Philip. "Mother didn't share any information with me. if I had known, you would have known." She then turned her head away from Philip, to look at the duel again. She had to admit that the both of them were great fighters – Philip taught them well – but one had to be better, one had to grow tired sooner or later, and the other would win.

Chad fell on the ground and Audrey approached him, her sword in one hand and Chad's in the other. He apparently had just lost it. For a moment, it looked like Audrey hesitated. But then, without further consideration, she plunged one of the swords in Chad's stomach.

Philip screamed. In her life, Mal had heard nothing that could compare to this scream of anguish and agony, despair and misery. He immediately ran towards his children, specifically Chad. Ben and Lonnie were unable to hold him back this time. As he rushed onto the field, volunteers followed him, believing him to be the signal they had all been waiting for.

In response, Maleficent's troops started to advance, too. The hirelings were sent first, with the beasts being held at bay for now. They screamed to instill fear in the volunteer army, but with Philip at the front, they kept on going.

Ben, Mal and Lonnie could do nothing but follow quickly and hope to reach Maleficent before too many people lost their lives.


	22. Warriors

**Hey guys! I know the duel came unexpectedly, especially since most of you probably thought the battle would start. Well, it's officially started. Let's see how this one will end, shall we? And it's quite long, too, and that right before the premiere of Descendants 2! (Are you just as excited as I am?) But before we start, here are my replies to your reviews:**

 _Jay-Wow:_ _Thanks for reviewing! Yep, Maleficent's definitely a cruel woman. She definitely isn't to be underestimated. But now, it's battle time!_

 _ _Kingson24601:_ _Yeah, drama... what would life be without it? Either way, such a confrontation was inevitable. Thanks for reviewing!__

 _Mustang52:_ _Thanks for reviewing! Well, someone had to die, right? What's a story like this without casualties? Well, time to go into the battle._

 _PurpleNicole531:_ _Yes, the irony is strong with this one. He never was one of my favorites either, but it was quite fun to write him. He still sort of impacts the story, particularly in Philip's parts for obvious reasons. But yeah, it's time for the battle now! Thanks for reviewing!_

 **Enjoy!**

 **-Writer207**

* * *

Philip ran as fast as he could. He could not care about anything else out there and was only vaguely aware of the civilians behind him and the hirelings in front of him. All that was on his mind, was Chad. At one point, he noticed the people behind him were now running right next to him. He did not think it through too much, but still realized he had been running more slowly – but still at a steady pace – to allow them to catch up with him and even pass him in the process.

Right before the hirelings and first row of villagers were about to clash, Maleficent released the beasts and they, too, ran towards the battle. Mere seconds later, the two parties collided and the fight really began.

An idea came to mind. As Philip sped up, he ditched the red cape and hat – it would only make him more recognizable to anyone who would see him. And to get to Chad without anything hindering him, it probably would be best to stay unrecognized. He just dropped them onto the ground, realizing but not caring that people could always stumble over them.

Philip ran past the people, avoided attacks from the beasts. Usually the hirelings let him pass for reasons unknown. The beasts would try to grab him, but soon they would find an easier, less agile target that did want to fight. Philip's way was easy – maybe too easy, but he could not care less about the consequences of what he was doing.

Then Philip saw him. Amidst the fights, he spotted Chad. The battles here were fierce, but he only had eyes for Chad and not for anyone or anything that could strike or kill him. He did not run the last few steps – he walked, going slower with every passing step. He fell to his knees when he was one step away and could barely hold back the tears.

Chad was staring at the sky with an empty gaze. His father's sword was still stuck in his stomach and there was blood everywhere in that area. He reached out for him, but could not hold it together anymore when he finally gripped onto Chad's armor. And in that moment, he knew he could not let him go. Not yet. Not now, not here, not like this.

When he looked up, he saw one of the hirelings thought to make an easy kill out of him. His mistake. Philip drew his sword and with one swift move, he stabbed the guy in his leg, forcing him on his knees and then slicing the hireling's throat. The hireling fell over, on Chad. Philip pushed the now dead man off of his surrogate son.

Philip grabbed Chad's jacket and held it tightly. Then, he muttered the transportation spell to go back to Neverland. Yes, there were medics at their side of the battlefield, but he needed ingredients that he knew Doug had storied in Neverland. So that was where he'd go, so that was where he would attempt and hopefully be successful in saving Chad's life.

Within seconds, Philip and Chad had left the battlefield, not leaving anything behind but Philip's red cape and hat.

* * *

They had no choice but to run with their supporters. Mal knew Maleficent had probably set this up. Her mother couldn't have known it would have been Chad to come up front – she guessed Maleficent had hoped that Philip would fight the duel. Mal had no idea whether Maleficent had known that Chad and Audrey fighting would get Philip's attention and that it would make him miserable, no matter the outcome.

And now they were running alongside the crowd, though not exactly ready to face Maleficent yet – but then again, when were they ever going to be ready? The beasts were released right before the opposing sides would collide, but it did not impact the civilians at all, as they still were unafraid to run into battle.

The two parties ran into one another and the battle erupted. It was nothing like anything they had imagined. The three had heard stories from their parents and mentors, stories about the battles they had fought and the scars they gained. They had seen some destruction themselves, too, but none of that matched what they now saw happening in front of them. The beasts and hirelings were merciless, but so were the civilians. All that anger and fear, built up inside them for so long, turned them into fighting machines, into the warriors of their generations, the warriors their generation so badly needed, warriors who would help take their freedom and country back. From behind, the archers had shot their first arrows into the opposing 'army', taking down a few hirelings already and enraging some of the beasts. The support from behind encouraged the warriors to go into the fight with hope and courage, knowing they can rely on their support.

Ben, Mal and Lonnie ran past hordes of people, trying to avoid conflict as much as possible. Lonnie ran up front, making the way for Ben and Mal. Mal was at the end of the row, protecting Ben from all sides with quickly casted spells. Luckily, nobody attacked them from the back yet.

They tried to run, but they changed directions every few yards. This slowed them down, as well as having to jump over some bodies already – it was hard to tell whether these people were alive. There were screams everywhere, both from the masses charging into battle, but more prominently from the hurt and injured. In addition to this, they also heard the beast's growls and the noise of the weapons. It looked horrible, too.

At one point, a beast jumped in front of them and growled at them. ben, Mal and Lonnie came to a hat and stared at the beast. Somehow, they appeared even taller now they confronted it directly, blood dripping from its jaws. The seven-feet-tall beast already had some arrows stuck in its skin and some people had already hit it a few times with blunt and sharp weapons alike – as was clear by the scars in its skin already –, making this particular beast extremely angry.

Lonnie immediately positioned herself to fight it and Mal protectively stepped in front of him. Neither were sure what would go down, but all three were terrified. But they at least had to try to survive this obstacle and go to Maleficent as quickly as they possibly could.

Something hit its snout and soon after this, the big stone that had hit him fell to the ground. It surprised the trio and infuriated the beast even further. It also caused them to look around and see who had done this. The three saw Hadrian in the nearby distance, a confident look on his face and throwing another rock at the beast, hitting it in its ear.

"Hey, assbutt!" Hadrian shouted at it. The beast forgot all about Mal, Ben and Lonnie and instead decided to go after Hadrian. The boy took a knife in his hands, ready for the confrontation. The beast jumped on top of the demigod and as Hadrian wrestled with it, Ben, Lonnie and Mal took their chance and ran. They couldn't get Hadrian out of their mind and the sacrifice he made – there was no way this beast wouldn't kill him.

The last part of their journey was fairly easy, compared to what they had to pass. Mal had to look behind every few seconds to make sure one of the beasts hadn't seen them – they practically passed all of them – and there were more bodies here than people standing. They'd officially passed most of the battlefield. At least fifty yards behind the fight, Maleficent was watching the fight progress, staff in one hand. With the three coming closer, though, her attention shifted to her daughter and the two teenagers that accompanied her.

Maleficent let them approach. She had to, Mal figured. If she didn't want them to come closer, they would be forced to stay back or would be killed. The trio came closer until they stopped walking at ten yards away from the villainess. That was closer than Mal expected, and so she suspected her mother was up to something. She couldn't figure out what it was her mother was trying to do.

"Mal. You're back," Maleficent said with a feigned happy tone in her voice. "It's good to see you. See you've got some prisoners. But, off course, you have something I need. Give me the wand." Maleficent extended her hand to them, expecting Mal to come closer and hand it over. But Mal shook her head.

"No," she said. _No, they are not prisoners. No, I do not have the wand. No, you're not really happy to see me – you're only happy because you think I have the wand._ "I don't have it," she continued. She did not stop looking at her mother. She already guessed how Maleficent would react, but she would definitely be furious.

The feigned smile on Maleficent's face disappeared. This small change transformed her into the terrifying image of her everyone had learned to fear. This small change let everyone who saw it know that you had to run or die – there was no in-between.

There was no time to prepare. With one blast from the staff, she flung Lonnie back at least a hundred yards. She hit the ground somewhere in the raging battle. Mal had time to whisper a protective spell under her breath before her mother blasted her. Mal only fell back a couple of yards. Maleficent then sent a blast in Ben's direction, who lifted his arms to cover his face and protect it.

But there came no impact. Ben slowly lowered his arms again and he noticed Maleficent was lying on the ground herself. A magic blast, Ben thought, so he didn't get hurt. He believed the blast must've rebounded and hit Maleficent. He ran over to Mal and helped her stand up again. By the time this had happened, Maleficent too stood up again. She was looking over the battlefield, which caused Mal to glance back for a few moments as well. She could not see what was going on back there, but there were considerably less beasts running around and maybe, just maybe the alliance was winning this fight, though it was hard to see.

Maleficent turned her attention back to Ben. "You used the wand, haven't you?" she said, "You clever boy."

"Mother, stop it," Mal then said. "You're losing. Surrender now." She had no idea whether this was true, but if Maleficent believed it, they might just win through this deceit. But her mother was clever, too.

"Or what?" Maleficent snarled, "You're going to stop me? Oh Mal, Mal, Mal…" she shook her head, "You do not get to threaten me."

With a swift movement, she threw something at them. it was impossible to tell what she threw, as it moved at such a high speed, probably going faster than it usually should. Maleficent could have enhanced the speed with dark magic. Yet, only seconds after she'd thrown it, Ben grabbed his side. Mal immediately turned to him and her eyes widened. There was a knife stuck in his side, and some blood dripped out of the wound it caused. He soon sank to his knees and his face grew paler with every passing second.

"Ben!" she exclaimed, worried about her health. She now wished she had paid more attention to those healing incantations when she was studying magic with Philip. Ben tried to pull it out, but Mal stopped him. It must hurt, yes, but if there's one thing Mal learned when she was a villain, it was that leaving a blade in someone's body, it would effectively block most of the blood from flowing out of the wound.

"Such a shame," Maleficent said, and Mal turned her head back to her mother. "You could have been a great villain."

Mal shook her head. "That is not who I am anymore," she said, now more convinced than ever that she really was no villain anymore.

"I realize that," Maleficent said, "But I don't have to agree with it. Now, let's end this." Her attention went back to the fighting parties on the battlefield behind the two teenagers. Then the metamorphosis began. Maleficent grew in size and her skin turned into a sickening mix of purple and black. Skin got replaced by scaled and as the transformation continued, the form she was taking was getting more terrifying and enormous until the mass actually took a distinctive form.

Once she was done, Maleficent roared and Mal's eyes widened in fear. She had turned into a dragon.

* * *

One arrow, then another and another, one following the last one as quickly as possible. Carlos reloaded the crossbow as quickly and effectively as he could and fired the arrow into the air. He did not stop to watch and see it land, as he did not need to witness how every one of those arrows found its way to a victim. He usually aimed for the beasts, but if someone – civilians and hirelings alike – found themselves on the arrow's path, he wouldn't complain or cry either.

On both his sides, other bowmen were trying their hardest not to hit anyone that fought for their side. Some were confident, but others were clearly hesitant. Carlos could hear them thinking: _what the hell am I doing here?_ But there was no going back now – they were here. Carlos wouldn't stop them if they decided to run, but in his eyes, if they knew they were going to doubt, they shouldn't have come at all. It's best to be determined and not to question what you're doing.

Carlos reloaded the crossbow and looked over the battlefield. Within seconds he's found his next victim: one of the beasts. This particular one already had some arrows sticking out of it. with a swift move, he fired the arrow to it and reloaded the crossbow again. When he was almost done, he did see how his arrow – he was pretty certain it was his arrow – hit the beast in its eye. _I'm good,_ he thought to himself, before looking for a next target.

He quickly found him. Jay was running around near the beast Carlos had just struck him, killing whoever he could kill. Carlos did not take his eyes off of him as not to lose him in the ever-shifting crowd. He lifted his crossbow and was ready to fire it off.

Carlos hesitated. _C'mon, then!_ Carlos told himself. You've done this before, it's not that hard. Except that it was hard this time. It was Jay – they had been friends for a long time. Sure, Jay was evil and everyone he was fighting was evil as well… but wouldn't he just be the same as them if he continued killing?

He decided to ignore that voice inside his head and fired at Jay. This time, he did watch the arrow's trajectory and eventual striking of Jay. It got stuck in his right arm, rendering said arm useless. Carlos smiled – he'd hit an important nerve. Jay looked up at the archers, but Carlos doubted Jay would know it was him – he was wearing what most people around him were wearing and had decided to cover up his white hair to stay inconspicuous. He reloaded the crossbow and fired a second arrow at Jay, which hit him in his other arm.

Jay then decided to retreat, as the boy ran away from the battlefield to his own side. Having arrows pierced in both arms was not exactly very helpful during a battle and had to hurt like hell. A smirk appeared on Carlos' face, and he went back to firing arrows at those beasts.

Carlos spotted Audrey in the crowd, and he knew exactly what to do. Every time she would show up at Maleficent's castle, they both ignored each other. The way she acted had been enough for him to instantly hate her. he did not hesitate to fire an arrow in her direction.

Audrey raised her arm at the right moment. the arrow penetrated her upper arm instead of her head, as he initially intended. Furious at his own mistake, he took another arrow to reload the crossbow again. He would make sure she would not leave the battlefield alive.

At the other side of the battlefield, something was growing and mutating. _Maleficent,_ Carlos thought. Even though she hadn't completely turned yet, everyone knew what was happening. If he did not have enough self-restraint, he would've shat his pants. The people around him could not contain their fear. Many screams erupted and most, if not everyone, turned around and ran away. Most archers were feeling the same.

"Hey!" Carlos yelled. This drew the attention of the bowmen. "What are you doing? Grab some arrows and do your job!"

"But…" one of them stammered, "B-But Maleficent…"

"… only ever turns into a dragon as a last resort," Carlos interrupted her, "Someone down there must've pissed her off. Trust me, she's too busy with whoever's challenged her down there. Now, grab some arrows and kill those sons of bitches now you have a clear shot!" As the civilians ran away in fear, it now was easier to spot the hirelings and to hit them and the beast without coincidentally being afraid to hit a friend.

Carlos did not know whether it had been his confidence or his shouting that did the trick, but it worked – the bowmen that heard him went back to their post, though still afraid of what Maleficent may do. He couldn't blame them – he almost shat his pants, too, but he held it in. it was in everyone's best interests to keep up appearances and hope they didn't notice he was afraid, too.

But her dragon form apparently wasn't enough for her. No, she just _had_ to go and breathe fire at the army down below as well, scaring the bowmen even more.

* * *

Back at Neverland, Doug was treating some of his first patients today. From what he had heard from them, he kind of knew how the battle was going, but that was not important to him – the most important thing was that they needed treatment and they needed it fast. There were just three patients here, two of them already having been here before the battle, and the number would certainly rise throughout the day.

Along with some of Doug's students, Evie was in the infirmary as well. They had decided to let her hang around in the infirmary at the last minute – that way, her guards could go and fight in the battle as well. They did give her one condition: Evie was not allowed to touch anything or do anything or even to say anything. She found herself sitting on one of the beds in the infirmary and so watched Doug treat those patients.

It was quiet for a while. Doug walked back into the room with some herbs in his hands. Evie caught a glimpse of both and shook her head, rolling her eyes. Did they really believe combining purgatorphyta and wolfsbane and giving it to someone would help that person recover? She herself frequently used them, especially purgatorphyta, in her poisons.

Doug was grinding them and Evie tilted her head. Should she tell him it wouldn't work at all? She did not particularly want to help them, but she could not stand the misuse of herbs. And she was told not to say anything – if she did, she risked being thrown into the cell again. As far as she was concerned, anything was better than that uncomfortable cell.

Well, the answer was clear. She had told herself she would try to be 'good' – or, at least, to be less evil. She had told herself to take little steps, one at a time. Maybe it was time to take that first step, to be less selfish. It could be time to save a life instead of waste one. Or at least to prevent Doug from using the wrong herbs for healing.

"Don't give that to her," Evie eventually just said. it startled the boy so much, he almost dropped the bowl with the mix and almost jumped up. He then turned his head to her, a shocked expression on his face. maybe he had already forgotten she was here.

"What?" he said. Evie raised an eyebrow – she was already surprised he did not say anything to remind her to be quiet or a 'shut up'.

"That combination is lethal," she told him. Doug quickly glanced at it before turning back at Evie, skeptical about her claim.

"How do I know you're not lying?" Dou asked her.

"I'm sure you've used that combination before. tell me, how many died after you gave them that?"

"I…" Doug said, but he trailed off. He hesitated, thought about it. Evie did not actually know how many had passed away because she wasn't there, but the expression on Doug' face and the realization in his eyes told her it had to be a lot.

"Thought so," Evie said. "You can keep the wolfsbane – it doesn't do that much harm. If you add a bit of windroot. That'll help ease the pain."

"Are you sure about that?" Doug then asked her. He seemed genuinely interested, though still a bit skeptical, and was worried. Evie nodded.

"Yes, I am," she said, "It'll work immediately, but you might want to hurry." She turned her head to the patient, who was groaning in pain now. Doug immediately reacted, left to get the right ngredients. Not much later, he returned with the right ingredients, grinded them, added water to it and then gave it to the woman once she was sitting up.

After receiving the medicine, she lay back down on the bed. Her breathing became more regular and after a short while, she was completely relaxed but not asleep. A smile appeared on his face and he sighed in relief, overjoyed that it actually worked and that Evie hadn't deceived him. He turned to her.

"Thank you," he said and Evie smiled at him – it wasn't an evil smile.

"You're welcome," she said, and Doug went back to doing his job and checked the woman just in case. He didn't know she only said that because she knew that's how people expressed that whatever they did wasn't a problem and was gladly done. The smile faded away. She was confused – this may be the first time she genuinely smiled at a guy, and that included the time she spent with Carlos and Jay. Not only because of Doug – she did suspect he played a role as well – but because she actually _saved_ someone. That's another first. And she liked it.

Maybe this was what she should be doing. Maybe this was what she had to use her skills for. Maybe no more seducing and potions, but healing and saving people. This one instance gave her a better feeling than anything she'd ever done before. when this battle's really over and people trusted her, she should really give it a try.

Then, out of the blue, Philip appeared. Evie jumped up from the bed and Doug ran back inside this room. They watched him sit on his knees next to Chad, who was laying on the ground with a sword stuck in his chest. Evie's eyes widened, but Doug looked more alarmed, was more in shock.

"Chad…" Doug said.

"Do you have some pyreroot and criusplume shell?" Philip asked him, ignoring Doug's shocked reaction. The medic did not immediately react, was still staring at Chad and the empty gaze in his eyes.

"Doug!" Philip yelled his name, snapping him out of it.

"Yeah," Doug responded, and he walked out of the room to the herb closet. Evie stayed behind with Philip and Chad. Evie decided not to ask him what had happened and who killed Chad – look at him, he's definitely dead. Someone would tell her once the fight was over. There would always be one person who could tell her exactly what had happened. For some reason, she felt guilty. Maybe, just maybe, it could've been her who set him on this path to death. It could have also been

Philip got up from his knees and walked over to the small closet in this room. after opening a few drawers, he found what he was looking for: a piece of chalk. He walked back at Chad and right next to him, on the ground, started to draw something. It was unclear what he was trying to draw, and it wasn't exactly easy to draw on the wooden planks, but Philip managed to do it. All Evie could recognize after a while was a circle, in which Philip chalked weird symbols Evie had trouble recognizing, though they looked familiar.

Doug returned with the pyreroot and criusplume shell Philip demanded. "Here you go," he said, handing them over. Philip took them out of Doug's hands without as much as a thank you. He finished his weird pentagram drawing with the symbols and starting using the herbs to further complete it, even pushing a bit of the root in Chad's hand. Doug looked at it and frowned.

"What are you doing?" He asked Philip, but the man did not respond to the question. He either had not heard Doug or he just ignored the medic in this instance. Doug took a step closer to take an even closer look at the drawing, to try and figure out what he was doing.

Only when the drawing was finished, Doug's eyes widened in realization. He shook his head in shock. "Philip, don't," he said, "You can't…"

"I have to," Philip interrupted the boy, cheeks still stained with the tears from before. "I have to try."

"I am not letting you kill yourself," Doug said. only when Evie heard this comment, she recognized the drawing. It stood in a spell book she once peeked in, a spell book of dark magic. When the symbols are drawn correctly and the incantation's just rightly pronounced, you can bring someone back from the dead. But there was a price to pay for this resurrection – your own life. The very first sentence literally translated to 'a life for a life'.

Philip was trying to bring Chad back by trading his own life for his.

"It'll bring Chad back," Philip said stubbornly.

"It can't guarantee Chad will survive his wounds," Doug said, now starting to sound rather desperate. "He'll still have them, he'll probably die again."

Philip looked up at Doug from his drawing. He tried to say something, but there came no sound out of his mouth. Then, he looked back at his deceased surrogate son.

"Philip, please," Doug continued, hoping he was finally getting through to him, "I can't save Chad – not with these wounds. And I am not letting you die. I'm not letting you kill yourself." He stopped talking and waited what would happen. Evie, too, wondered what Philip was going to do now.

Philip did not really move and he hesitated. Tears welled up in his eyes again and soon, he cried. Doug approached him to pat him on the back, in support of what had happened, looking at Chad with a sad look in his eyes. As for Evie, she sat back down on the bed and the best thing she could do was to just watch and not to do anything else, seeing how Philip broke down in tears.

* * *

Mal watched in horror as her mother breathed fire into the fighting masses. It was hard to see what exactly was going down forty yards behind them, but it was clear she did not make a distinction between the enemy and her own allies. At least three beasts ran off, their fur still burning. Many more people screamed in pain and ago, the fire eating away their clothes, hair and skin. For a few moments, they forgot what they were here for and wished fiercely for some water and a chance to put out the fire.

"She's gonna kill them all," Ben whispered, staring at the monster in horror, still clutching his wound. _Yes, she is,_ Mal thought in agreement. Knowing her mother, she probably would make a statement by destroying not just the civilian army, but also the three nearest villages. Once she was done, Maleficent would have turned over two thousand people into ashes, of which half had nothing to do with the alliance's actions.

Right when her mother was about to fly off and breathe some more fire at the army, Mal stood up and confidently looked at her mother. "No," she said, looking at Maleficent's face. The villainess turned her head and glared with those glowing green eyes straight at her daughter.

A spell came to Mal's mind, a spell she had read in one of the spell books Philip had lent her during the training. It was a very dangerous spell with various effects and since she was feeling a bit evil back then, she memorized it – even though she was already quite good at that time. The spell was one for 'revenge', as the spell book stated, and required the spellcaster to look at the person they wanted to curse and recite the spell. The effects were 'random', and watching them take effect was optional.

Mal took a deep breath. She had no idea whether this would work, but she had to try something. If not, a lot of people were going to die. And so she watched her mother and recited the spell. Maleficent could barely hear her – or that's what Mal thought. Once the villainess knew what Mal was attempting to do, she took a deep breath and then breathed out some flames, going straight for Mal.

But the flames never burned her. Ben had taken his opportunity to move. He now was sitting right in front of Mal, between her and her mother, and effectively blocked the flames. Magical dragon, magical flames. They had no effect on him, and so he protected Mal by acting as a shield against her mother's magic.

Mal continued to recite the spell. Maleficent, furious that she couldn't burn Mal, roared in anger and then came straight for her daughter, reaching out to her and ready to strike them both (but especially Mal) with her claws.

As soon as Mal spoke the last word, her mother stopped in her movements. Mal wanted to look away, but she couldn't. Maleficent was shrinking in size. Her form did not change and even when she the dragon was human-sized and had lost its wings, it continued to shrink. Eventually, there only was a small lizard left. It stood very still, until it ran away into the bushes.

"What just happened?" Ben asked her, confused at what Mal had been trying to do.

"I think I turned my mother into a lizard," she responded. She hoped her mother was really a lizard now, with no memories of her previous life. It would be better for everyone. and if she could remember everything, Mal could only hope her mother would have no way to become human again.

Mal turned to the battlefield. She could not see what the hirelings were up to, but the beasts all ran or walked away, though some of them still attacked the villagers if they were provoked by them. As Maleficent controlled them and now they were showing free will, it was safe to say Maleficent was a lizard now. Maleficent is no more. A smile appeared on Mal's face.

"We won," she said. Mal wondered how things ended up being like this. Just two months ago, two short months ago, she would not have believed this would ever happen and she definitely would not believe that she would be defeating her mother and turning her into a lizard.

"Great," Ben said, "Can you get me to Doug now?" There was a pained expression on his face and the wound probably still hurt like hell. It definitely required medical attention. Mal nodded.

"Sure," she said. The euphoria and shock of what she'd done made her temporarily forget about the pain Ben had to be in. Without further hesitation, Mal transported them to Neverland. They landed right inside the infirmary. Mal helped Ben onto one of the beds while Doug walked in.

"Knife to the side," Mal said, "don't know if it had been drenched in something." Doug nodded as he took in all that information. He walked over to the large closet at the other side of the room, took out some medical instruments and then walked back to them.

"And Maleficent?" Doug asked her.

"She's gone," Mal said. She left Ben so that Doug could properly do his job without her standing in the way, but she stayed in the room. At that moment, she felt like she could finally breathe calmly again. She was calm, too, like she hadn't been in a very long time.

 _It's over,_ she thought, and a grin appeared on her face. _It's done. I'm free._


	23. For the first time

**Hey guys. Welcome again to 'Warriors'. I probably should've announced it in earlier chapters, but I somehow forgot, so here it goes: this is the last chapter. I really should've mentioned it before. Either way, I'm going to keep it short up here, so make sure to check the AN at the bottom. So, without further ad, here are my last responses to your reviews:**

 _Mustang52:_ _Thanks for reviewing! Everything will be explained in this chapter. Chad's still dead and Audrey... well, you'll get to know what happened to her this chapter._

 _Kingson24601:_ _Glad you liked those parts; I really enjoyed writing Maleficent. And good question - it'll be answered this chapter. Thanks for reviewing!_

 _PurpleNicole531:_ _Thanks for reviewing! Well, it's just Maleficent that's been defeated. As of right now, they've just beaten one villain, but there's still dangerous people out there, including Hades, Ursula, Madam Mim, Shan Yu, Facilier... you get the point. Either way, there's still a lot of evil people out there that are probably not happy with an uprising like this. I haven't had the chance to watch the movie yet (I'm going to be lucky if I can watch the dubbed version this month), but I've listened to the songs and they're just awesome._

 _IAMAGUEST:_ _This is the last chapter of the story, but I will write one-shots related to this story in the future, and there'll certainly be one-shots for the present and the near future. Thanks for reviewing!_

 _Jay-Wow:_ _Thanks for reviewing! Yeah, it definitely ain't over for them. In the first draft, Philip was actually supposed to go through with the spell, but I changed it. A resurrected whiny teenager wouldn't have as much an impact as a grieving father, anyway, though they both have a considerable impact._

 **Enjoy!**

 **-Writer207**

* * *

Carlos stopped reloading the crossbow when the dragon shrunk. He looked at it, confused, just like everyone around him – they'd stopped firing arrows. He had no idea what they were thinking, but he himself was wondering why Maleficent was reverting back to her human form. She hadn't been a dragon for that long, and he'd expected her to at least burn down the entire army and, hopefully, overlook the archers.

As the dragon disappeared from his view, the beasts stopped attacking. Most wandered off, but when the civilian attacked them, they still lashed out. Despite this, they were no longer murder machines. And when he looked at the battlefield, looking for the position of the hirelings, he saw they were practically defeated.

The archers, bowmen and others near him cheered. Each of them shouted at least one variation of "we won!". They hugged each other and wore bright smiles on their faces. One of the men grabbed a woman's face and forcefully kissed her on the lips – she went along with it and kissed him back. Carlos did not join them yet – he looked over the battlefield one more time. It was unnecessary, as it confirmed what the crowd already had figured out: they had won.

 _Well, then, time to leave._ Carlos took a quiver half-filled with arrows and tossed it over his shoulder, holding the crossbow in his hand. He turned his back to the battlefield and walked through the celebrating masses. He did not need to struggle to get away from them, but nobody stopped him – at most, they would just stare at him in confusion.

After ten minutes of walking around, he found them: the horses. Many came on foot, but there were some who arrived here on horseback. There were more than a hundred horses gathered in this place, all tied to trees to prevent them from wandering off. In other words: more than enough to choose from, and right there for the taking. He walked among them, inspecting them one by one. Eventually, he found one that he liked: a black mare that did not seem too feisty and was already saddled. He untied the knot and lead the horse away from the others. Once he did not need to maneuver it away from the other horses anymore, he easily mounted it. He almost dropped the crossbow, but he managed to hold it.

He turned his head to the masses one last time. They were still celebrating, congratulating each other and telling each other either how they never thought this was possible or how they always said this would eventually happen. They were all overjoyed, and none of them noticed the son of Cruella de Vil was about to leave.

Carlos could not smile. He tried to feel happy, to at least try to feel what they felt, but it was impossible. He could not be happy. After all, it was _their_ victory, not his. He just so happened to have been present to help them out, even if he played only a small role. But they no longer needed his help, so they no longer paid attention to him. So they would not know he was gone until it was too late.

He had made up his mind, long before this battle started. The alliance's buddy-system did not work for him – he felt more like he was being tried for his bad deeds than being trained to be good. he needed his privacy and he did not want those self-proclaimed heroes to influence his choice, did not want them to force him into a label. He wasn't going to change it now: run, stay away from trouble, figure out what he truly wanted to with his life.

And so, Carlos spurred the mare and he rode off. Where to? He had no idea. He couldn't care less about the destination, and the same could be said about the future. It was all so uncertain now. He only knew he would travel. He would have to work to come by. He would be hungry and thirsty, he'd have it rough, but it would've been his own choice. He'd dye his hair, he'd become a nameless face in the crowd, rapidly forgotten. He wouldn't be feared anymore, he wouldn't be helped just because he was Carlos de Vil. But this life, it would have been his own choice.

It is his own choice. Finally freed from the shadow of his mother, from the ties to his former friends, he would make his own choices. And for the first time, he was going out to find his own destiny.

* * *

 _ **The next day**_

In Neverland, at the crack of dawn, Philip was finally ready to let go. As the sun rose, he took a shovel and walked outside. Hours later, he was throwing the last bits of dirt on the new grave. He had already made a cross with some leftover wood, on which he had carved Chad's name, and he placed it in the ground at the grave. He then stood up again and watched the grave.

All of this happened while the Beast was watching. Even though there was work to do, Adam couldn't just walk away and ignore it. He sighed – parents shouldn't have to bury their children. _The work can wait,_ he thought and walked over to Philip. He stopped when he stood right next to the father, looking at the grave. Why do the young die young? Why do the old continue to live?

"I'm sorry," Adam said after a while.

"Shut up." Philip said, abruptly turning his head and red, swollen eyes to his friend. Adam saw the hatred in those eyes, but that disappeared as soon as he realized what he'd just said. "My apologies," he then added, "I just…"

"I understand," Adam said, "Of course, I can't say I know what you're going through. But if you need to talk…" he trailed off, a thought popping up in his mind. Him standing at the boy's grave, Ben's grave, while Philip came to comfort him. Adam shook his head – he shouldn't think like that.

A small smile appeared on Philip's face. "Thank you," He said, and sighed in relief, straightening his back. There was silence for at least half a minute before they spoke again.

"We're going to need you," Adam said, "Will you be there?" Rumors go around quickly, but the former King was certain everyone in Auradon heard at least one version or rumor about their victory. Villains were just as unpredictable as they ever were, and they probably would have to defend their newly-conquered castle. They would need all the help they could get. They may have won the battle, but there still may be a war to win.

Philip nodded, determined. "Yes, I will," he said, "I'll stand by your side. Let's kick some ass."

There was an uneasy pause, during which Philip started to frown. Surely he had expected Adam to greet his determination with enthusiasm, not with the wary look he received.

"Are you sure you want to fight?" Adam then asked.

"I am," Philip said, sounded quite disappointed with the follow-up question.

Adam sighed. He turned his body to Philip, focusing on the father now. "Philip, as a good friend, I ask you to take your time. Mourn. Don't just throw yourself into battle. Don't let it consume you." It. Revenge, sadness, the determination to put a halt to the tyrannical rule of the other villains, among others. All sources of concern.

"They won't rest," Philip said harshly, "so why should I?"

For a moment, Adam did not say anything. He allowed Philip to calm down before he argued against fighting. "Do you think he would've wanted it?" He calmly asked the father. Philip slowly turned his head to his friend, who saw the despair and sorrow in his eyes.

"Just think about it," Adam continued. "Everyone needs time to mourn. So do you." Philip did not respond, and Adam did not say anything else. This led the former King to believe that Philip wouldn't answer his question right now, though he might as well be considering taking his time.

Philip nodded. "I'll think about it," he said. Adam sighed inaudibly - it somehow felt like a burden fell off of his shoulders.

"Good," he said, "I'll leave you alone." With those words, Adam walked away from the new grave. As he walked away, he thought about the question again. Did it really matter? Philip would find a way to do both. If he was called upon, he would come to help. When he isn't desperately needed, he would mourn. At least, that's what he believed his friend would say.

Despite all of this, for the first time, Adam was hopeful about the future, about how it would look like and hopeful that it would be a nice place to live once again.

* * *

It was an extremely busy day. On the day of the battle, there were a lot of casualties and they needed all the help they could get. Many were treated on the battlefield itself, but there were more patients than there were medics and so they needed to find a solution.

This solution was to find a room in the castle that was big enough to accommodate all the patients. They had chosen the biggest dining hall to turn into a makeshift infirmary. Spellcasters were told to bring the severely wounded, those with the most lethal wounds, into the castle where the medics would be waiting, while others were still treated on the battlefield.

Most were wounded, but some died on the battlefield. Some healthy people volunteered to dig the mass graves, in which most corpses were thrown, including Hadrian's. Some alliance members were brought back to Neverland for a proper burial.

The few patients in Neverland were left in the capable hands of one of Doug's most trusted friends, so he himself could travel to the castle after the battle. All others medics from Neverland followed suit, including Evie. The Evil Queen's daughter had no idea whether he allowed it because she could do evil things when left alone or because she could be helpful. Either way, she was happy to leave Neverland and go to a place she knew well.

She remember the look on Doug's face when he saw how many people needed help: his eyes widened and his face paled. He gave her full clearance to walk around in the 'infirmary' and help whenever she could. And for a little while, she did obey him.

But then she noticed a pattern. Since they stayed inside, they only dealt with the severely wounded. That was okay, but there also were those who were slightly injured, and they needed the help as much as the severely wounded. So Evie ignored Doug and wandered outside, to the slightly injured. Even if they were wary of her, that disappeared as soon as they were convinced she wouldn't hurt them today. Most of them had cuts and scratches, which was easy to bandage and treat. At the end of the day, they were grateful for the help.

That was yesterday. Things were better today, but there still was a massive amount of work to do. Luckily, the slightly wounded from yesterday were more than willing to help out. Even with all the help, they still had little to no time to rest.

At one point, about half an hour before noon, Evie went to the supply closets. There were two set up at the side, one for the herbs and one for the limited amount of equipment they had. They could always 'borrow' from Maleficent when they needed some supplies, anyway.

Evie opened the herb closet and carefully selected those she needed, focusing on those that helped ease the pain or numbed people enough to give them the treatment they needed. Some needed stitches, others needed a full-blown surgery and only a select few, those who were beyond saving, needed it to ease the pain until they passed away.

Not much later, Doug joined her at the closets, taking a scalpel and more bandages from the supply closet. He then turned his head to the girl.

"Evie'" he said, to draw her attention, and then added: "Thank you."

Evie ignored the urge to frown. "What for?" He had already thanked her yesterday, and today he did it again. Was it customary for the common folk to thank someone daily? Was there something else he thought deserved thanking?

"Everything," he said, a small smile appeared on his face, "your help here, your knowledge… Just being here. Thank you for that."

"Okay," she said, unsure how to properly react to those words. The first time he was grateful that she helped save a life. Evie may have believed he was thankful that she wasn't lying. But this time, clearly, he thanked her for her help. No-one's ever done that before.

Doug was already returning to his patients when Evie called him back. "Doug?"

He stopped in his tracks, turned his head to her. "Yes?"

Can you be a friend? That's what she wanted to ask him, but it was not what she told him. "You're doing a good job, too."

Doug nodded at her. "Thanks," he said, and then he went back to work, to go and help a poor soul. Evie did the same, walking to her own patients.

As she was treating them, she thought of what she almost said. Friend… Does any other word have such a wide range of meaning? The meaning she knew probably prevented her from asking it. The only she's ever had was Mal - she would've included Carlos and Jay on that list if they didn't fall into the 'ex-boyfriend' category.

But she learned a new definition to the word. It was no longer just a female person she spent a lot of time with. 'Friends' were people to hold dear, were there for you whenever, whatever, wherever, were no longer limited to one gender.

For the first time, Evie considered a guy as a friend and not as prey. It was an idea she could get used to.

* * *

The last thing Jay remembered was being knocked over by a beast. He did not know whether it was intentional or unintentional, but he knew that he hit the ground hard. He lost consciousness, leaving only room for him to think one last time: _I'm dead._

Because when there's a fight, or when people are terrified, they don't care about who they're stepping on. They only care about themselves. But here he was, waking up to immense pain. _I'm not dead,_ he thought. Great. He did not know how much time had passed while he was unconscious, but it was enough time for people to nearly trample him. Everything just hurt so much – he wouldn't be surprised if he were covered in bruises. It would take a long time to recover.

But his arms… oh, they hurt the most. He remembered the arrows hitting him, and whoever brought him here was decent enough to bandage them and remove the arrows. Even now, he felt like he could not properly move every muscle, which could be problematic for the future. He tried making a fist, but stopped as soon as it moved. His hand and fingers weren't spared when he lay on the battlefield. They could be bruised, maybe broken even.

Jay was getting more aware of his surroundings. He was leaning against a cold wall, suggesting they did not lie him down on the ground. He finally opened his eyes, to be greeted by an equally dark room. There was just one torch that illuminated the scene before him. Slowly, carefully, he turned his head to the flames.

The first thing he noticed were the bars. He was in a cell – no, in a dungeon. Maleficent's dungeon. That was not a good sign. He wanted to know what happened, but did not like to make assumptions for the worse.

At the other side of the aisle, in the dungeon cell opposite of his, sat a girl. From what Jay could see, she looked just as miserable as he was feeling. She too sat against the wall, facing the light. Only after a long inspection, he recognized her: Audrey. There was a bandage around her upper arm, suggesting that she too got hit with an arrow, but hers was bloodier than both of his combined.

Audrey was glaring at something. It was another person, a girl whose face was clearly illuminated by the flames of the torch. She looked eerily familiar, with that stern look on her face and the sword on her hip. He already imagined her and Audrey just finished a conversation that did not go well.

Then, he recognized her. Well, he did not know her personally, but Jay had the pleasure of meeting her father Li Shang. The daughter of the great Mulan, standing guard near them, even if they could not do much. So the alliance had them captive. What an inconvenience…

A thought came to mind, and Jay laughed. It hurt to laugh, but he did not mind. Not this time. Mulan's daughter turned her head to him and Audrey's eyes now stared at him.

"What's so funny?" Li asked him in the middle of his laughing fit. He only managed to answer once he had calmed down and the pain became too much.

"He's coming," he said. His throat was dry and as a result, his voice was raspy. It wasn't loud either, but luckily the acoustics in the dungeons were excellent. "My father's coming."

"He won't," Mulan's daughter told him. if it didn't hurt too much, Jay would've shaken his head.

"Yes, he will." If there's one thing his father had always done, it was looking after his son. Jafar always made sure to personally train the boy to be the perfect heir, a role Jay wholeheartedly had accepted. Whenever he was in trouble and home was far away, Iago – turned human and loyal to his father – would come with some men to save his ass. Agrabah wasn't too far away from this castle. Once Jafar knew what had happened to his son, he would do anything to get him back. Jay was sure of it.

Mulan's daughter walked away, not wasting any more words to the debate. He then looked at Audrey, who apparently did not feel like talking to him, as she now faced the wall, clearly avoiding eye contact. And so, Jay decided to do the same. Once he looked at the wall, he then closed his eyes to rest. The more he rested, the sooner he might heal, maybe with some help from some medics.

For the first time, he felt weak. For the first time, he was being punished for his evilness. He did not like it.

* * *

When the villains broke free from the Isle of the Lost, they had decided to team up to get their revenge. Some of the so-called heroes were stupid enough to stay and fight. All of them died. Those who ran away and their relatives would be hunted down for the rest of their lives.

As soon as the villains claimed victory, their alliance fell apart. They bickered about which lands they should own, about that one small town they also wanted in their territory, about what to do with the common folk. There was only one thing they could all agree on: Maleficent would get what she wanted.

She claimed the entire landmass, but she allowed the other villains to stay if they wanted. There was one condition: everyone would get an equal amount of landmass to rule, so there would be equality (but also jealousy) among them. Ursula was left to rule the seas on her own. Hades was content to just have Mount Olympus and not any lands that belonged to it, as he already ruled the Land of the Dead.

Maleficent was gone now. This would cause a lot of trouble.

Mal visited the new infirmary, founded inside the largest dining hall of the castle. After looking around for a while, she found him. Ben looked good, considering what had happened and compared to the others. He was the only patient from Neverland that they brought to the castle's infirmary. He still needed some time to recover, but Jason Rolfe had told her he should be better by tomorrow.

"Hey," he said, a smile appearing on his face when he saw her. Mal smiled back in response.

"Hey," she said, "How are you feeling?"

"Could be better," he said. His hand slid to the wound and placed itself there, without pressuring the wound too much. A medic had bandaged it up. It had been just a knife, one without poison smeared on it. It didn't damage the internal organs, but it was close to an important artery. Mal had made the right decision by leaving the knife in there - if they'd pulled it out, they could've hit the artery and he would've bled out.

"Jason told me I could leave tomorrow," Ben said. Mal nodded - she'd already heard Jason tell her.

"Great," she said, "The sooner you're back in shape, the better."

Ben nodded in agreement. He needed to be ready - enemies could strike at any moment. "Do you have any idea of what's going to happen?"

Mal shook her head. "Jafar is coming for his son. We can only guess what the others will do."

Because they were afraid of Maleficent's wrath, many villains did not cross the line too often. Naturally, none of the villains trusted each other and always patrolled their own borders, waiting for an opportunity to rise or a neighboring villain to try and invade their lands. With Maleficent gone, they have created the biggest power vacuum imaginable. And the villains would be drawn to said power vacuum, either by attacking each other or by attacking the alliance.

"Is he bringing an army?" Ben asked.

"Maybe," Mal said. Whether he brought an army or not, the attack would be another devastating battle. and if Jafar took his time to prepare the attack, others might strike in the meantime.

"We're gonna have it rough," Ben said in realization. Mal nodded.

"Yep."

"We might lose," he said.

"Depends."

"On what?"

"Us," Mal replied, "The alliance. The people. They won't give up on a bright future. They have hope."

"We," Ben said. " _We_ have hope." Mal nodded again. _Yes, we,_ she thought. _Not they._ As she looked at Ben and thought of every conversation they've had, she knew what she had to do.

Mal leaned in closer and planted her lips on his. She kissed him and after a few seconds of confusion, he started kissing back. It felt so good, so right. They had no idea for how long it lasted, but it felt like an eternity.

But even eternities can come to an end. She eventually, reluctantly, pulled away from him. He was astonished with this turn of events.

"That was… nice," he said, a wide grin appearing on his face. For a few moments, he forgot about the pain. Mal smiled at him.

"Yes," she said. Better to do it now than later. They could be attacked at any given moment, and then that would take up all of their time. If she hadn't done it now, she would've waited. Maybe even too long, as they both could die at the hands of their enemies.

"Let's win the war," Mal said.

"Yes," Ben said, nodding in complete agreement, the grin still on his face. "Let's do that."

For the first time, despite the imminent threats from everywhere, Mal felt truly happy.

* * *

 _ **T** **he End**_

 **O** **kay, I'm just going to throw this out here: thanks to all of you for reading this story, for reviewing, favoriting and following. Thank you for the sweet reviews - I never would've guessed I'd have more than a hundred reviews when I started with this. Thanks for sticking with me, even when the updates were very irregular, to say the least. I could go on and on about how thankful I am, but I guess you get the point now.**

 **As for me writing: there might be a sequel to this story, but I'd rather not get your hopes up too soon. And if I decide to write a sequel, it'll take a long time before I'll actually have written it. I've got other story ideas I want to prioritize right now, including two other Descendants ideas. What I am certain about is that I will return to this fandom with one of those ideas and a series of one-shots based around this story. If everything is okay, the first one-shot will be online by the end of August or the beginning of September. Then again, it could always be later than that.**

 **So, that's it. See you next time, and again, thanks for reading. I hope you enjoyed it.**

 **-Writer207**


	24. Heathens (announcement)

**Hello, my dear readers,**

 **Almost exactly a year ago, I finished this story and I am proud to say this is still one of my more successful ones. (all thanks to you guys!) This is also one of the few stories I've written that actually has sequel material, i.e. Descendants 2. It has been a year since this movie has hit the small screen and one year was enough time for me to figure out where I wanted this story to go from where we left off (keeping in mind the existing sequel) and what I wanted to use for the plot of the next installment.**

 **So, with pleasure and if you'd like, I am writing a sequel to _Warriors_ , of which the first chapter will be published on Wednesday, August 1st. This sequel will be called _Heathens_ and will be partly based on Descendants 2, in the same vein as the story you have read here. If you enjoyed this story, I can say with certainty that you'll like its sequel as well.**

 **Other than that, I will be working on a series of one-shots (called _Renegades_ ) regarding certain events in this story's universe, of which the first six have already been written and posted. I must admit I have not been very inspired to write them, but as soon as I get the ball rolling for _Heathens_ , I hope the updates for _Renegades_ will be more regular than before. There's also a chance I'll rewrite some of them, because some of them could have been better.**

 **This has been your announcement. Carry on with whatever you were doing before and I hope you will give the sequel a chance.**

 **-Writer207**


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